Preliminary startlist for Ladies Tour of Norway 2019 is now published, and you will find them here.
Stage 4, Svinesund-Halden 156,2 km:
If you lose time at the Knardal hill on Saturday, there is a possibility to take it back on Sunday’s final stage.
The organizers are keeping the queens stage from the last years, 156 challenging kilometers crossing between Norway and Sweden several times just south of Halden and Iddefjorden.
From the start at the old Svinesund bridge, the course will hit the costal city of Strømstad before heading inland and crossing into Norway again after 55,9 km. But it’s just for a short period as the riders will be in Sweden again after 71 km.
Here they will hit the 7 km part with gravel road before they enter Norway for the last time at Kornsjø where they will fight for the special border sprint jersey to the first rider crossing the border here.
After a quick desend to Halden, the riders will hit the 5 km long circuit which will be covered with three full laps. The finish line is the same as last year at the harbour in central Halden.
The first KoM-sprint is in the short hill by Daftø Camping south of Strømstad. Only 400 meters straight ahead with 1 % average climb will not spread the field apart. The second KoM is in Norway after 61,5 km where the climb is 2,2 km with an average of 3,5 %.
There are two possibilities to get points on the flat sprints this day. The first coming already after 18,9 km before Strømstad. Then the riders have to wait untill the crossing of the finish line at 140,5 km before the next possibility to take points on the green jersey.
The stage is 156,2 km, close to what is allowed for ladies stageraces. And with already three heavy days in their legs, it’s normally a lot of tired riders in Halden this day. It’s not expected that the bunch will come all together to the finish.
But it is expected that the crowd will come out in big numbers. They are normally very good at visiting the final stage of the Ladies Tour of Norway in Halden.
Read More
Stage 3, Moss-Halden 125,3km:
For the first time the Ladies Tour of Norway has a real mountaintop finish. The race will probably be decided at the finish of the third stage between Moss and Halden when the riders will tackle the feared Knardal hill to the Fredriksten fortress twice. The average of the climb is 7,3 % over 1,3 km.
– We’ve sometims got criticism because the finish of our stages have been too simular to each others, and we have for a long time wanted a mountaintop finish, says race director Roy Moberg, who will now experience a tough finish in his hometown of Halden.
For the first time the race also has Moss as a starting city. The ferry city by the Oslofjord has wanted to be in the race for a long time and now they will host the start of stage 3 on Saturday. It’s the same starting area that was used twice for the mens Tour of Norway, and it was always a great atmosphere here at the start by the channel.
The riders will head to the inner of the region Østfold again on their way to Halden. After going north from the start they will be eastbound to Skiptvet before crossing Norway’s longest river Glomma close to Norway’s biggest powerstation at Vamma.
The route from Eidsberg church to Rakkestad is the same as used the day before, but from here the riders will go south in the direction of Sarpsborg before cutting over to highway 22 which will take them to Halden.
The final circuit is 7,5 km and after a quick downhill from Fredriksten the route goes through the center of Halden, where it passes the finish line on Sunday, well known for most of the riders. But then it goes up, all the way to the finish at Fredriksten. More than 1,5 km with some real steep parts, this is supposed to be the place where the GC is decided.
The two flat sprints on the stage are situated at Våler after 21 km and at the crossing of Sunday’s finish line in Halden after 116,2 km – just before the climb. The first KoM is at Stutfosstjern between Våler and Skiptvet where the World Championships in orienteering just have packed after their races the week before LToN. This climb is 4,9 km long and the average is only 2,3 %. There are also KoM-points at stake at the finish line after 125,3 km. The last climb is 1,3 km with 7,3 % average.
Halden is the home city for LToN and they normally have the most spectators. So there will probably be a big crowd cheering for the riders up the brutal hill to the finish line.
Read More
Stage 2, Askim-Mysen 133,6 km:
Indre Østfold – the inner part of the region Østfold – has become the destination for Friday’s stage of the Ladies Tour of Norway the two last years. This is the case also this year. It’s just over 10 km between Mysen and Askim, but the riders will cover 133,6 km which takes them around most of the inner parts of Østfold – for many of the riders well known roads from earlier editions of LToN.
Mysen has been a finishing city in the two last years of the race. This time the riders will start in the smallest of Østfold’s cities. For the first time the finish will be in the neighbour city Askim, maybe with the longest final straight in the race’s history.
This stage has earlier broken up the field. This can happen also this year, specially because the final circuit in Askim is quite hard and tricky. The 8,1 km long loop will be covered three times. There are also some undulating roads around Linnekleppen and between Øymark and Ørje. The last part here was used also two years ago when the start was in Halden.
There are two flat sprints and two KoM-sprints also on the second stage. The first flat sprint is coming already after 18,8 km in Rakkestad, the starting city last year. This is followed by two KoM-sprints. The first at Linnekleppen with a climb of 1 km with 3,5 % average. The last hill before Ørje is the second KoM (1,2 km with 3,8 %). This was also used in the KoM-competition two years ago. This hill gets steeper at the end.
The second flat sprint comes in the center of Mysen when the riders are passing the start area again. They will climb Vandugbakken out of Mysen before heading north to Trøgstad and then taking left towards Askim and the final circuit, a way they also have used in previous editions. The stage is 133,6 km long.
It’s a stage where it’s hard to predict if a break can go all the way or if the sprinters are able to hang on to the finish. The finish is on the same street as for the Norwegian championships in criterium races this year, but it’s much longer this time. With more than 500 meter straight forward to the line, it would be possible with a real lead-out for the teams with more riders left in the leading group.
It will be a Friday afternoon with good atmosphere both in Askim, Mysen and the rest of the inner parts of Østfold. The area will be in the spotlight for sport for a long time. The week before LToN they will host the World Championships in orienteering in the same area as well.
Read More
Stage 2, Åsgårdstrand-Horten 128,4 km:
This year the Ladies Tour of Norway will visit the region of Vestfold for the first time. The first stage will take the riders through most of Østfold’s neighbour region on the other side of the Oslofjord. The start will take place just outside the old house of the famous painter Edward Much, and the finish is in the center of the costal town Horten, the same finishing line as for the men at the Tour of Norway last year.
Edward Much is central at the start in Åsgårdstrand where the riders will be close to his old home. This before they will role out on the nearly 130 km long stage with three laps of 7,6 km each in Horten at the end.
It’s not the most hilly stage, even though the terrain is not completely flat in the inner parts of Vestfold. So it should be a good possibility for the sprinters to take home a stage win. A special motivation is probably coming from Hitec-Product’s rider Ingvill Gåskjenn who is a local from Horten.
The stage moves west into the inner part of Vestfold at first. From Høijord it takes the riders straight north to Hof and then east to Sande. From here the route follows the Oslofjord south to Nykirke before the riders turns left into the center of Horten.
The stage has two intermediate sprints and two KoM-sprints. The flat sprints are in Revetal efter 23,5 km and in Holmestrand after 88,1 km. The two hill sprints are not the longest and hardest in history. First comes Kjønnerød after 33,2 km with a climb of 1,4 km with an average of 3,1%. The second is Hanekleiva after nearly 70 km, a wellknown climb in several mens races earlier. It’s 3,1 km long with an average of 3,9%. And with 60 km to the finish theres is a good chance that the race will come together again – if not a breakaway will succed to stay out till the end.
The final circuit in the center of Horten is a quick one with a right turn into the last 500 meter. The riders will se the line with some 200-250 meters left. Despite a small uphill it’s a quick finish. And the finish area hosted a very cosy atmosphere at the 2018 Tour of Norway for the men. We expect the same good atompshere also when the ladies will be sprinting for glory here.
For Ladies Tour of Norway it’s a very interesting step to enter also the region of Vestfold. The race is normally based in Østfold, but this year we’ll also be in both Vestfold and Sweden.
Read More
A small reminder to all journalists and photographers who shall be at Ladies Tour of Norway 2019:
Remember to ask for a press accreditation in advance so we know you will come!
You do this by sending an e-mail with your information to:
henriette.amundsen@teknotherm.no
You will find further info and links to previous video clips and photos from LtoN here.
We look forward to see you in Vestfold and Oestfold at this year’s LToN!
Read More
Scandinavia will get ”the Tour de France for women” when Denmark, Sweden and Norway goes together and introduce the new WorldTour-race Battle of North in 2021.
A totally new concept with 10 stages over 11 days. Behind the new race stands the Ladies Tour of Norway, the WorldTour-race in Vårgårda Sweden and the Danish Cycling Union.
– It’s a very exciting concept and I’m really looking forward to it, says the former World Champion and mega star Marianne Vos from Holland who won all the stages at the Ladies Tour of Norway last year.
All the best female riders will hit Scandinavia for the race in 2021, it will be distributed live on TV to the whole world and it will be a unique possibility to show the best of what there is of nature, culture and sport both in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
The Battle of North will also be a big motivation for the Nordic riders who will now get the toughest stage race on the WorldTour in their own backyard.
– We are planning for the world elite on site, millions of TV¬-viewers and of course thousands of spectators along the course, says Roy Moberg, race director of the Ladies Tour of Norway.
Battle of North is a unique co-operation between the three countries. LToN came up with the idea and the two other countries were positive from the start.
Vårgårda in Sweden has the longest tradition in organizing races at the highest level for women and they do now see the possibilities to develop their races even more.
Denmark have wanted a WorldTour-race for ladies for a long time, but so far they’ve failed to get one. Now they can say that the best ladies are coming also to Denmark, at the same they also prepare for the Grand Depart of the Tour det France in 2021. Battle of North will be the first ever WorldTour-race for women in Denmark.
The new race will also be a big opportunity for the Scandinavian riders. Norway have had a good season so far with stagewins for both Emilie Moberg and Vita Heine in the Tour of Uppsala in Sweden last week. Youngster Susanne Andersen has also posted top-10-finishes on the WorldTour for her new Team Sunweb.
Sweden has a lot of good riders with Emilia Fahlin being the biggest star just now. The new FDJ-signing was 4th at last years WCH in Innsbruck, Austria.
Denmark is a very strong nation in ladies cycling. Amalie Dideriksen (Boels-Dolmans) has won several WCH-titles and Cecilie Uttrop is another young rider on the way towards the world’s elite. Several others are just behind.
– We are working with the biggest TV-channels in the three countries and even in this area it’s a unique co-operation between three countries and they find it both interesting and exciting, says Kjell-Erik Kristiansen, responsible for media at LToN.
The race will probably have three stages in Denmark, three in Sweden and four in Norway as the final. LToN and the World Cup in Vårgårda will now be a part of Battle of North and the race will be held in August – the same period where Sweden and Norway have their WorldTour-races for ladies today.
LToN is the only WorldTour-race in Norway today. All the mens races are in a lower UCI-category.
Read More
The region of Vestfold on the west side of the Oslofjord is for the first time a part of the Ladies Tour of Norway, Moss is a new city for a start, Askim is a new city for a finish and there will be two finishes in Halden. For the first time there will also be a mountaintop-finish.
There are several news in the Ladies Tour of Norway – the country’s only World Tour-race in cycling – when it will be organized for the sixth time 22. – 25. August 2019.
Ladies Tour of Norway is the only cycling race in Norway gathering more or less the whole world’s elite. The race was founded in Halden, and has earlier been arranged in the region of Østfold with some small trips into Sweden.
– But this year we will include Vestfold, and the first stage will be between the cities of Åsgårdstrand and Horten with a lap in the inner parts of the region. It’s a natural step for us, and Horten was a very good host city for the men\s Tour of Norway in 2018, says race director Roy Moberg.
LToN will keep one stage in the inner part of its origin region of Østfold. This time a cooperation between the cities of Mysen and Askim, two cities who will merge in to one municipality in 2020.
– We will start in Mysen and come back through the city on the way to the finish in Askim. This is the first time Askim has a finish in the race. It’s important for us to include as many places as possible in our region of Østfold, and therefore it was natural to use Askim for the first time this year, says Roy Moberg.
Moberg is from Halden and he can be happy with two stage finishes in his home city. Both Saturday and Sunday the race will conclude here, but there will be two different finishes. Saturday’s stage will tackle the climb of Knardal up to the fortress at Fredriksten twice. This is the hardest finish in the six years history of the race.
– We’ve missed a real tough finish, as our finishes have been a little bit too simular from day to day. Therefore there will now also be a possibility for the climbers to put their mark on the race and maybe win it. So far the classic specialists and the sprinters have had the best chances.
Saturday’s stage is starting in Moss, another city taking part in the race for the first time. But Moss has had a couple of starts in the mens Tour of Norway earlier.
Sunday’s final stage is more or less the same as in 2018. That means a start on the old Svinesund bridge atthe border between Norway and Sweden, and the first part on Swedish roads with several bordercrossings between the two countries in the area of Enningdalen and Vassbotn. The 7 km gravel road before the last bordercrossing at Kornsjø will return, and the finish will be by the harbour in Halden like the last years.
All the best ladies teams in the world are expected to the Ladies Tour of Norway 2019, a World Tour-race at the highest level of cycling.
The Norwegian ladies are on the way towards the absolute top. It will be exciting to follow the young Susanne Andersen, 7th at the World Championships in Bergen 2017 who is now doing her first season in Team Sunweb.
Katrine Aalerud and the home hope Emilie Moberg are both racing for the Danish outfit Team Virtu. The only professional team from Norway, Team Hitec Products and the Norwegian national team will also be at the start.
LToN will have four road race-stages in 2019 and there will be no time trial or team time trial as there have been the last years.
Contact persons:
Roy Moberg, Race director +47 906 49 339 – roy@eagle.no
Anders Eia Linnestad, Technical director +47 900 68 423 – ael@basm.no
Kjell-Erik Kristiansen, Project manager media +47 465 42 820 – kjellerik@me.com
See also the menu point “Stages” for detailed description of each stage.
Read More
The calendar says that it’s still half a year until this year’s edition of Ladies Tour of Norway, but there is no reason to be on the lazy side because of that. There are a lot of things to be planned and clarified now, and all this is well in progress.
Recently, the first general meeting in 2019 was arranged for the members of the organisation committee, and it became a constructive and informative meeting at Thon Hotel in Halden – one of our three partner hotels, for the appr. 15 persons in this year’s organization staff. There are also some new members in the committee this year, and they must also be updated with their responsibilities and tasks as quickly as possible .
The stages with start- and finish areas are now relatively nailed, and we can promise that there will be 4 beautiful and spectacular stages during this year’s race.
The actual presentation of stages and host municipalities will take place in April, but we can already now reveal that there will be a lot moments to look forward to!
All major events with a certain respect for themselves also have their own launch parties, and LToN is no exception. Also this year we will be organizing a launch party, and this will most likely be arranged in May.
So it’s just to keep up to date with information and news about this year’s Ladies Tour of Norway – Scandinavia’s only road race with WorldTour status!