Dear Friends of Tour of Scandinavia,

This week was anticipated to be a significant moment in our cycling calendar, as we would have been preparing for this year’s Tour of Scandinavia. In a typical scenario, we would have welcomed a majority of the World Tour teams in the coming days, laying the groundwork for the race set to commence this Thursday.

Our dedicated partners, host cities, organizing committee, team leaders, and our wonderful volunteers would have been in full operational mode, finalizing preparations for the event. We were, as always, looking forward to hosting the international cycling community and the media here in Norway as well, as it is always a pleasure to welcome you.

The planned stages for this year’s race route were as follows:

• Thursday, August 29th: Askim – Mysen
• Friday, August 30th: Moss – Sarpsborg
• Saturday, August 31st: Drammen – Kongsberg
• Sunday, September 1st: Strömstad – Halden

This year would have marked our first stage finish in Kongsberg, about which we were particularly excited about. We had envisioned an exhilarating and new start in Moss, followed by visits to many of our well-known and beloved stages in the Østfold region of Norway. We felt confident that we had a compelling race on paper.

Financial struggle
It is important for us to emphasize that all our state, regional, and local subsidies were in place as per our budget, and all our host cities were ready and eager for our arrival. However, we are unable to proceed with the race without a sufficient number of private sponsors and additional funding to complement our official subsidies. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of sponsors leading into the summer, we had no alternative but to cancel this year’s edition.

Following the cancellation, we have devoted considerable time to ensure a robust cooperation and communication with the UCI and our local federation. We have also secured public subsidies for the future, which positions us well for a successful continuation into 2025.

However – it brings us great pleasure to share that we have successfully maintained all our planned cycling activities for children in 2024. Our Summer Cycling Schools, in collaboration with Green Cycling and the Tour of Norway for Kids, are continuing as scheduled throughout the summer.

In addition, as an Eco-Lighthouse certified organization with a strong commitment to sustainability and waste management, we are delighted to report that our mobile waste container – developed specifically to enhance our environmental initiatives and reduce litter, has been actively touring Norway at various festivals, concerts, and events this summer. It is encouraging to see that other event organizations can also benefit from our commitment to sustainability.

While there are still areas that require attention in terms of sponsorship, we are committed to addressing these matters as we approach the end of this year. We are pleased to announce that we have already secured our spot in the World Tour calendar for 2025, and we eagerly anticipate the return of riders, teams, international press, and the broader cycling community to Norway next year.

Warm regards,
on behalf of the entire organization committee, team leaders and voluntaries in Norway

Marius Jorgensen
Managing Director
Tour of Scandinavia Organizing Committee