Østfold Energi will be one of the main sponsors of the road race “Tour of Scandinavia – Battle of The North”, one of the world’s largest road races for women.
The parties have signed an agreement where Østfold Energi enters as one of four main sponsors and will be the owner of the green points jersey during this year’s race.
– Tour of Scandinavia, formerly Ladies Tour of Norway, has its origins and identity associated with Østfold. This will be a large cycling party in Østfold that puts the region on the map both nationally and internationally, says Oddmund Kroken, CEO of Østfold Energi.
– Tour of Scandinavia’s commitment to equality, sustainability and children- and youth activities related to cycling suits us very well and is something we would like to be a part of, says Kroken.
Unique focus with local anchoring
“Tour of Scandinavia – Battle of the North” has World Tour status and will be arrangedin Norway, Sweden and Denmark 9 – 14 August this year. Together with Tour de France and Giro Rosa, the Scandinavian race is the most prestigious stage race in the world of cycling for women.
The race is arranged as a stage race over six days starting in Copenhagen, with the next stage in Sweden before the four final stages are raced in Østfold and in Eastern Norway. The race visits Moss, Sarpsborg, Askim, Mysen and Halden, all of which are either start or finish cities for a stage during the Tour.
– We race across Østfold in three stages and will cover approximately 450 km in total through the region, says general manager of the race, Roy Moberg.
– Østfold Energi’s focus on sustainability and breadth activities are values that are very similar to our own values, says a satisfied race director Roy Moberg in Ladies Tour of Norway AS, which owns the rights to the Tour of Scandinavia – Battle of The North (BOTN).
– Tour of Scandinavia arranges, among other things, children’s rides and Green Summer Cycling School for children in all our host cities in Østfold through the event week. The event week starts with a family day in Kulåsparken in Sarpsborg on Saturday 6. August, and we are very happy to have Østfold Energi with us at this event as well, says Moberg.
– We have taken great steps out in the world since the start in 2014, but is still a locally based event where it is important to keep the identity and ownership locally. The fact that large and important local social actors such as Østfold Energi get involved through us means a lot to ensure local anchoring, says Moberg, who is looking forward to showing the region to the entire cycling-interested world in August.
10 million viewers
Tour of Scandinavia will have live TV coverage world wide with 2.5 hours of daily TV broadcasts.
In 2021, the forerunner of the race, the Ladies Tour of Norway, had over 10 million unique viewers globally. In Norway, the race is broadcast live on TV 2 and Eurosport.
As the main sponsor, Østfold Energi is marketed as the owner of the green points jersey, a classification jersey that many recognize from the Tour de France and which will be very visible on TV also through the Tour of Scandinavia’s stages.
