Creation of the Arctic Race of Norway: a new race at the heart of unique sceneries

Baptiste Kern, Amaury Sport Organisation Marketing & Business Development Director - Odd Eriksen, Chair of Nordland County Council - Pia Svensgaard, Chair of Troms County Council - Anita Stenhaug, Vice President Statoil - Norne-Aasta Hansteen - © Stian Klaussen, Vizuelli

From August 8th to August 11th, 2013, the magnificent landscapes of Northern Norway will host the first edition of an out-of-the- ordinary stage race: the Arctic Race of Norway. A few weeks
after the end of the Tour de France, the international peloton will be given the unique opportunity to enter the Arctic circle and compete at the heart of the fjords on the Norwegian coastline.

Norway, the perfect host for an elite race
While cycling is now booming on a global basis, Norway is definitely at the lead of this trend. Driven by the great success of Norwegian star riders, the growth of cycling in Norway has been
spectacular over the recent years: TV ratings for cycling races are hitting record figures, and both the number of cycling enthusiasts and amateur riders have soared. In parallel, Norway is
boasting one of the most iconic coastlines worldwide, which are truly ideal for staging a spectacular cycling stage race.

This favorable context gave the idea to the Norwegian company Arctic Race of Norway AS to team up with Tour de France organisers Amaury Sport Organisation in order to jointly create this unique race in the Northern part of Norway.

Four days, four stages
For this first edition, the course will be composed of 4 stages across the Northern part of Norway. While the exact course still has to be revealed in the coming weeks, it can already be said that a thrilling fight should take place between sprinters and punchers, as the peloton will have to face some hills which may give birth to promising drama in the iconic landscapes of the
Arctic Circle.

“We wish to turn the Arctic Race of Norway into a race that holds an important place on the international race calendar. The Norwegians' love for cycling combined with the breathtaking
sceneries of Northern Norway is a promising combination: this new race has the potential to truly stand out in the world of cycling”, said Yann Le Moenner, Amaury Sport Organisation CEO.

Unseen enthusiasm from key partners
The creation of the Arctic Race of Norway has been made possible by the strong support of numerous key partners who decided to join the adventure, reflecting Northern Norway's incredible enthusiasm for this new event.

Public authorities are playing a key role in this process as the three counties of Troms, Nordland and Finnmark as well as Visit Norway have all decided to support the event for the next three
years, as the Arctic Race of Norway will undoubtedly promote these locations and their amazing landscapes to a global audience.

Norwegian based Statoil, an international energy company with operations in 35 countries, has also been unveiled as the main sponsor of the event for the next three years. Statoil will appear
notably on the general classification and the best young rider jerseys and develop several activations for spectators, and especially for young talents as part of Statoil's Heroes of Tomorrow program.

With all the support from these key partners, the preparation of the first edition is now well under way, and the course will be revealed in the coming weeks.