June 4/20 13:30 pm - 2020 UCI Women's Tour of Norway Cancelled

Posted by Editoress on 06/4/20
 

Organizers have announced that Norway's only UCI World Tour-race, the Ladies Tour of Norway, scheduled for August 13-16 is postponed until August 2021. The organizers have tried to run the race as scheduled, but the restrictions regarding the COVID-19-pandemic makes it impossible to organize the race this year. The region of Østfold is missing their biggest cycling festival this Summer.

"It is mainly the rules regarding social distancing with 1 metre and the restrictions regarding entering Norway for foreigners that makes it impossible for us," says race director Roy Moberg. "We have tried everything and we have asked for advice from the government and the responsible people for the restrictions, but we have got no promises that things will be different by mid-August."

The World Tour-race is one of Norway's most international sport events, with top riders from all over the world. Even though they are professionals and this is their job, they have today no possibility to enter Norway for competing.

"We have looked at all possible scenarios, even to organize without audience and with the necessary protections for COVID-19. But without riders we can not organize a World Tour-race. So it is with a heavy heart we have taken this decision, but we promise to come back strong with a new Ladies Tour of Norway in August 2021 at the highest level," says Moberg.

The organizers will now start the planning for next year's race. They also state that the work to establish the planned Nordic tour called "Battle of the North" - or sometimes "The Ladies Tour de France" - will continue. The plan was to start in 2021, but because of the COVID -19-pandemic they are now unsure when it can happen.