Tour of Scandinavia LIVE

Stage 6: Lillestrøm - Halden 154.3 km

Back to Vos-territory for the final stage. The Halden finish circuit is tricky but should end in a sprint(-ish att least). Uttrup Ludwig just has to beware DSM ambushes to secure her overall win.

Expected finish: 14:10 -14:35 CEST (ATTENTION! Early finish)

Halden all the cards : Marianne Vos

Yesterday was a blip.

Official site , Startlist

Stage 5: Vikersund - Norefjell 127.4 km

Queen Stage time! We return to Norefjell where Annemiek van Vleuten clinched the win last year. After SD Worx got as unlucky as you can gett with a late crash yesterday the story today will be whether Vos does a rare return to olden days and tries to defend her Yellow jersey on a big climbing day. It’s balanced just well enough that it is a very open and thrilling question if she can.

Expected finish: 14:05 -14:30 CEST (ATTENTION! Early finish)

Fjellclimber of the Day : Demi Vollering Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

It seems Vollering is ok to start and if she does I’m guessing she is fit enough to compete for the win. So a stage win for her and a GC battle behind?

Turns out Vollering is out after all so the big favorite on paper is now......

Official site , Startlist

Stage 3: Moss - Sarpsborg 119 km

We’re “home” in Norway and adding a bit of uphill kick in the finale.

Expected finish: 18:00 -18:25 CEST

Sarpshooter of the Day : Marianne Vos

Does Marianne Vos like a bit of uphill kick in the finale? Yes. Yes she does.

And the peloton are unlikely to get punked like last year by Kristen Faulkner here.

Official site , Startlist

Stage 2: Mollösund - Strömstad 154 km

Another long flat and beautiful stage, this time in the Bohuslän region in western Sweden. We are in the land of salty fishermen and finishing in Strömstad where all of Norway comes across the border to buy (slightly) cheap(er) groceries and somewhat less crazy expensive booze. Expect all the Norwegian race vehicles to go back fully loaded to Norway after the stage.

Expected finish: 17:55 -18:25 CEST

Cross-border shopper of the Day : Marianne Vos

Did we see anything yesterday to suggest anyone can threaten? I’d say, no. Trek have the team power but not the timing or sharpness even if I suspect Hosking will be their ace today. The fight among the young guns like Bossuyt and Jastrab & co feels like it could be the most intriguing part in the first few stages here.

Official site , Startlist

Stage 1: Copenhagen - Helsingør 145.6 km

The Ladies Tour of Norway is expanding to include a little bit of Denmark and Sweden. A race with plenty for the sprinters until we get a GC decider on the stage 5 mountain finish at Norefjell. We start in downtown Copenhagen with a long stage through sunny Sjælland to finish in Helsingør, the home of Hamlet.

Expected finish: 17:55 -18:25 CEST

Happy Ophelia of the Day : Marianne Vos

I wish I could be more original but unless she is overcome with sadness as the race does its first intermediate sprint up Geels Bakke, where she lost the 2011 World Championships to Italy and Giorgia Bronzini, or if she gets another puppypootjes DSQ then I don’t see how she loses on the form she’s in.

Official site , Startlist