With four stages in the heart of a new world for cycling, from August 8th to 11th, the international elite will cross the Arctic Circle for the first edition of the Arctic Race of Norway.

In the midst of the Norwegian fjords in the counties of Nordland and Troms, the route should create a series of confrontations between sprinters, who will discover the subtleties of a unique coastline in this new race, ranked 2.1 by the UCI.

The race will start in Bodo with a first stage that loops around a 192.5 km route. It will also be the hilliest of the week: Among the five difficulties on the day’s programme is a 10 km climb halfway through the stage, reaching a height of 500 m. However, this should not disrupt the plans of the sprinters for a battle at the finish.

For the next two days, the riders will explore the Lofoten Islands, one of the jewels of the country. From one fishing port to another, the route will only rarely stray from the coast and will run alongside the mountains that dominate the landscape. Between Svolvær and Stokmarknes the peloton will be faced with a brand-new experience: After passing through an undersea tunnel, they will climb to the “lowest summit in the world”, a mountain sprint at an altitude of 5 metres!

The fourth stage starts in Sortland and heads to Harstad, where a 6-kilometre circuit will be covered five times. There will still be several precious bonus seconds up for grabs on two intermediate sprints on these final 30 km. To spice things up even further, the finishing line is located at the top of a 1 km uphill that could be ideal for a puncheur.

The three northernmost counties of Norway, Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, issued a joint statement: “We are proud to let our nature and landscapes provide the arena for the Arctic Race of Norway. It is with great enthusiasm that we look forward to presenting the spectacular and unique Northern Norway. We support this event since cycling is one of the world’s biggest sports, and the race constitutes an important promotional event for the tourism in the North.”

Jean-Etienne Amaury, president of the organizing Amaury Sport Organisation, commented: “Cycling provides a great showcase for the countries and regions it crosses, highlighting their cultural heritage and favouring the development of tourism. The Arctic Race of Norway will be an opportunity for one of the most beautiful places on the planet to appear on TV screens all over the world. This race is also a tribute to Norwegians’ growing interest for cycling.”

The stages of the Arctic Race of Norway:

Thursday 8th August, stage 1: Bodo - Bodo, 192.5 km

Friday 9th August, stage 2: Svolvær - Svolvær, 156 km

Saturday 10th August, stage 3: Svolvær - Stokmarknes, 201.5 km

Sunday 11th August, stage 4: Sortland - Harstad, 155 km