A new battle in Scandinavia
The first edition of the Tour of Scandinavia - Battle of the North, a six-day women's race through Denmark, Sweden and Norway, will take place from August 9 to 14. The event, which is the continuation of the Ladies Tour of Norway, maintains the Women's WorldTour race status, but also expands its geographical area with the new format, with race days in Denmark (stage 1) and Sweden (stage 2). The subtitle of the event, Battle of the North, promises Viking epic.
Route
In this first edition, the Tour of Scandinavia - Battle of the North presents a route in 6 stages, of which 5 are categorized as flat by the organization, although it is likely that some of them will not be resolved in the sprint. Specifically, the final part of the third stage consists of three laps on a 7-kilometer final circuit that includes a ramp of 0.6 km at 4.2% just before the finish line, so it is likely that we will see late attacks. As far as the general classification is concerned, it will undoubtedly be decided in stage 5, with the arrival at Norefjell (11.1 km at 5.8%), the only important mountain of the week.
Favorites
The starting list is still at a very early stage, so it is impossible to make predictions. At the moment, Cecile Uttrup Ludwig (1000) and Liane Lippert (800) stand out as GC contenders.