When he crossed the finish line at Lago Laceno and claimed the pink jersey of Giro d’Italia race leader, Andreas Leknessund (DSM) said he had had no idea he was making a small but significant piece of cycling history.
But after the Norwegian found out he was the first rider from north of the Arctic Circle ever to take the lead of the Italian Grand Tour in its 106 editions, he said he was not, in any case, surprised. "The number of cyclists from inside the Circle is very small," he pointed out.
Even so, being born and raised in the small town of Tromso, Leknessund explained he was fortunate to grow up there as a racer. His local club is very active, and the bike riders from Tromso have got their own ways of getting around the long, dark winters and heavy snowfalls, too.
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"We have special winter bikes" Leknessund explained, "that we can use to go out and ride in the snow around the reindeer. Growing up and riding there is a big part of my identity, I moved away when I was 16, but I always go back to winter to ride there, it’s something I really enjoy."
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