At a press conference at Copenhagen City Hall on Tuesday, race organizers announced details of the inaugural Tour of Scandinavia.

Originally scheduled for 2020 and 2021 but delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first-ever Tour of Scandinavia will start in Copenhagen on August 9. From there the riders will tackle six stages through Denmark, Sweden and Norway, finishing 958 kilometers later in Halden, Norway.

Uno-X will deepen its association with cycling and become the general sponsor of the Tour of Scandinavia for 2022 and 2023, with an option to extend in the future.

“It’s a unique racing concept that connects the culture, tourism, nature and local atmosphere of the three countries into one great package of races and experiences,” said race director Roy Moberg. “Our key values ​​are sustainability, equality, quality, local engagement, volunteers and destination marketing. We tried to put all of these values ​​on the table when discussing how we wanted to create and grow this race step by step.

The race extends the long-running Ladies Tour of Norway which was won last year by Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team). Four of the six stages will be in Norway, including the likely decisive summit finish in Norefjell on stage 5.

“With all the experience and expertise of the already existing Ladies Tour of Norway mixed with that of the Danish Cycling Federation, we now have all the momentum needed to develop and create absolutely the best Women’s WorldTour race in all of Scandinavia. “, said Henrik Jess Jensen, president of the Danish Cycling Federation.

The opening stage in Copenhagen on Tuesday August 9 will mark the first time that Denmark will host a Women’s World Tour race with the 145 kilometer day starting at the famous Kongens Nytorv square in the Danish capital and ending in Helsingør with three local tours. After that, the race moves to the Swedish coast for Stage 2, with the peloton weaving their way through seaside holiday destinations as they cover the 153.4km from Orust to Strömstad.

On Stage 3 on August 11, the race will be in more familiar territory, traversing landscapes often visited by the Ladies Tour of Norway. The 118.8 km stage starts in Moss before heading towards Sarpsborg for three laps before the final sprint takes place in front of the town hall.

There are some hills on the route for Stage 4 – 127.7km from Askim to Mysen – as the race moves inland into Norway’s Indre Østfold Kommune region, an area that its mayor Saxony Frøshaug described it as the “Norwegian part of Tuscany”. ”

Then, on Saturday August 13, it will be time for the 132.9km Queen stage from Vikersund to Norefjell, which should be a decisive day for the GC contenders. The race begins with 2 laps of the circuit before passing Lake Soneren and then Lake Krøderen. Once the peloton leaves its shores, it heads for the final grueling 10km climb. It was here, in 2021, that Annemiek van Vleuten took stage victory in the Ladies Tour of Norway which also gave her an unassailable lead in the overall standings.

The final 153.4km day begins in Lillestrøm and ends in Halden, where crowds are expected to gather near the inner harbor to witness three technical and potentially dramatic laps.

The race organizers have also committed to providing two hours of daily live coverage broadcast both nationally and internationally. The Ladies Tour of Norway, the event’s predecessor, was watched by 10 million viewers worldwide.