Boasson Hagen scheduled to try for victory number three in the race’s fourth edition
The Tour of Norway has announced details of the first four of its five stages, with the race to be run in its usual spot on the calendar in late May. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) has won the past two editions, and the Norwegian was featured at the race presentation, as he is scheduled to be present to try for win number three.
Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) won the first Tour of Norway in 2011.
According to procycling.no, three WorldTour teams have been confirmed to start thus far: Sky Procycling, Belkin, and Katusha. More top-ranked squads will be announced later.
Sky will have Boasson Hagen, as well as recently retired pro Gabriel Rasch as a likely team director. Belkin will have Lars Petter Nordhaug, and Katusha sports 2013 triple stage winner Alexander Kristoff.
Kristoff and Boasson Hagen won four of the five stages a year ago, with Theo Bos (Belkin) taking stage three. The Norwegian stage race can also tout a bump in status. It had previously been a 2.1 race, and is now ranked at 2.HC. Glava has stepped down as main race sponsor, replaced by the fuel supplier Uno-X.
Boasson Hagen will hope to come out with another victory in his home race. “We haven’t seen much of the course yet, but it will be good to be there,” the Sky rider told procycling.no. “It has been well organized in the past and is now moved up a level. It looks like good start and finish cities, so I am excited.
“I’ll try to win again, because it’s great to win at home when there are so many people there. It does not get easier with even tougher competition, but I’ll hopefully have a strong team around me.”
Race director Anders Eia Linnestad is excited for his event’s new 2.HC ranking, saying that it means, “higher prestige, more points, and more money for the riders.”
Linnestad also stated that the announcement of the final stage should come around the new year, saying that there are multiple options that required more thought.
Tour of Norway (2.HC) May 21 – May 25:
Stage 1: Larvik – Larvik
Stage 2: Drøbak – Sarpsborg
Stage 3: Arnes – Elverum
Stage 4: Brumundal – Lillehammer
Stage 5: Undecided