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The Tour of Norway and the Boucles de la Mayenne - Crédit Mutuel are two races of the men's UCI ProSeries which this year coincide in dates, as both races will take place from May 23 to 26. However, the similarities end here, as the terrains they will traverse are very different.

Tour of Norway: route and favorites

The Tour of Norway features a spectacular route thanks to the natural beauty of the Scandinavian country. The race includes two summit finishes in the first two stages, which will decide the general classification. Stage 1, with the finish at Voss Resort (3.9 km at 5.8%), is more suited to puncheurs, while the second stage, with the final climb to Qullingen (5.5 km at 8.8%), is better for climbers. Stage 3 is the flattest and should end in some type of sprint, while the fourth and final stage will be held on a circuit that includes the Grisabakken hill (0.6 km at 7.5%), which riders will need to tackle 5 times.

Thibaut Nys (200), Wout Van Aert (1200), Magnus Cort (600), Koen Bowman (400), Ben Zwiehoff (200), and Per Strand Hagenes (200) are some of the main riders on the provisional start list, although many teams have yet to announce their line-ups.

Boucles de la Mayenne - Crédit Mutuel: route and favorites

The race takes place in the French region of Mayenne, in the northwest of the country, a land with a great cycling tradition. The race will start with a 5.5 km time trial prologue that will determine the first leader. On the remaining three stages, there will theoretically be two opportunities for sprinters (stages 1 and 3), while the general classification should be decided in stage 2, which has over 3400 meters of positive elevation gain in a profile that is a constant up and down, ideal for puncheurs and Ardennes classics specialists. This stage includes the côte des Égoutelles (2.3 km at 6%) in the final circuit, where differences will undoubtedly be made.

Marc Hirschi (600), Alberto Bettiol (600), Diego Ulissi (400), Axel Zingle (400), Benoît Cosnefroy (400), Rémi Cavagna (400), Paul Menhoet (400), Dorian Godon (400), and Victor Campenaerts (200) are the most prominent names on the provisional start list. However, as with the Tour of Norway, the participant list is still very provisional, making it difficult to talk about favorites.

Photo: © Tour of Norway