The 2023 Tour of Scandinavia was the second edition of the stage race that grew out of the Ladies Tour of Norway to also include Denmark and (in 2022) Sweden. At the race, Cyclingnews spoke exclusively to Roy Moberg, general director of the race, Morten Anderson, president of the DCU, the Danish cycling union, and the race’s overall winner Annemiek van Vleuten about the expansion from an event in the southeastern corner of Norway to one that spans several countries, the logistics this expansion entails, and the possibilities for future growth.
A race that leapfrogs two nations has its challenges, not the least of which was the mid-event shift of all the riders, staff and equipment hundreds of kilometres over land and water.
As the big transfer of the five-day event from Norway to Denmark unfolded, it was clear just how much work had gone into executing it smoothly: Friday’s stage 3 finished in Larvik, the port from which ferries cross the Skagerrak to Hirtshals in Northern Denmark. Riders and some staff were even airlifted from Sandefjord-Torp airport, less than 25km from Larvik, to Billund, just under 60km south of Herning. That meant they reached their accommodation for the last two stages at a respectable hour, around seven.
The team and race vehicles and most staff however took the 4-hour Larvik-Hirtshals ferry and even after crossing the strait dividing the nations still had to drive almost 200 kilometres to Herning, arriving very late.
“A shout-out to the organisation because for the riders it was well-organised,” said Van Vleuten of the transfer. “But it was challenging for our staff, a lot of them arrived at midnight. It’s a lot of travelling. It’s also nice to have the stages late for the television coverage but that also means that our staff is working really late, so for them it’s hard.”
The time cost to those involved in the race, is also not the only consideration.
“I have to say from an environmental view, I’m not a big fan of so much travelling and an extra plane. I think we should focus a bit on keeping the sport clean, not just here, but in cycling in general. I’m also not a big fan that the Tour de France will start in the Netherlands next year for an eight-day stage race. I would prefer the Tour de France Femmes to be in France, we should also consider the environment in these decisions,” she said.
The Tour of Scandinavia has an Eco-Lighthouse certification, equivalent to the EU’s Eco-Management and Audit…
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