As an international cycling team, you want to race a lot of races and everyone of them is unique. However, racing a World Tour race in your home country is a bit extra special. This week is that week, as the Ladies Tour of Norway is on the program. Team Hitec Products – Birk Sport wil race it with five Norwegian riders in it’s team. On Thursday the four days stage race will start in Åsgårdstrand.
The selection of Team Hitec Products – Birk Sports consist of Norwegian champion Ingrid Lorvik, Vita Heine, Amalie Lutro, Julie Meyer Solvang, Ingvild Gaskjenn and our Italian sprinter Marta Tagliaferro. GCN Racing and Eurosport Player will broadcast all the four stages of the race.
Having already five victories this season, Vita Heine start the Ladies Tour of Norway with good confidence. She is looking forward to the race. “As a Norwegian rider it is huge to have a World Tour race in our country, seeing most of the best riders in the world competing on the roads we use to train on'”, she says. “It is also very nice to see that several Norwegian girls are getting better and better results every year.”
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‘We will pass my home’
Vita is one of those riders, but so is 21 years young Ingvild Gaskjenn. She was third on both the first stage and general classifcation of the Tour de Belle Isle en Terre. Gaskjenn is can’t wait for the race in her country to start: “This race is always special because Halden is so close to my home, but this year the first stage will pass my home at the local laps, so that will be a really crazy experience. I’m looking forward to it!”
But what can we expect from the team in this World Tour race, in a peloton with twenty strong teams. “As a team we have a strong card in Marta for the sprints”, Vita tells. “With a great team behind me I think we are able to make a top-10 result in the general classifcation, which would be very good for a smaller team like us. At the same time I would like to be active in the race and go for the opportunities that come along to make a good stage result.”
Program Ladies Tour of Norway
22-08: Stage 1 – Åsgårdstrand – Horten (128 km)
23-08: Stage 2 – Mysen – Askim (131 km)
24-08: Stage 3 – Moss – Halden (125 km)
25-08: Stage 4 – Svinesund – Halden (154 km)
Photo’s: Sportfoto.nl