'Twice above 1,000m ... and probably snow' - Tour of Norway set for tougher route and more women's stages in 2026
Tour of Norway event direct Roy Hegreberg has revealed plans to Domestique that the race will cover a wider geographical area in 2026, expanding beyond the Rogeland county with longer climbing sections with new routes whilst increasing the women's race to three stages.
"For next year, the men's race will start a little bit further north and go south, and then the women's race will start on the third day of the men's and they will also have a race on the Monday themselves," explained Roy Hegreberg, who has been with the Tour of Norway organisation for over a decade.
The expanded route will feature significant climbing challenges, with one stage reaching over 1,000 meters elevation twice. "One stage will be for sure more and longer climbing. We will be above 1,000 meters two times on one stage next year. So the possibility of seeing snow there will be very, very high," Hegreberg told Domestique.
From humble beginnings in 2013, Hegreberg has transformed the Tour of Norway into a prestigious fixture on the cycling calendar, attracting elite World Tour teams and star riders. "When we started this in 2013, I hoped we would have one or two World Tour teams riding here," Hegreberg recalled. "But now we have really shown that we have a race that managed to get the big teams coming here year after year."
Recent editions have featured cycling superstars, including Remco Evenepoel, who won in 2022, Wout van Aert, and Mads Pedersen. This year saw a victory from Visma | Lease a Bike rider, Matthew Brennan, who took home the general classification by 28 seconds
Race organisers are particularly proud of incorporating women's racing, having run two stages for women this year. "What I'm most proud of is that we also this year included the women in our race and we had two stages for them. For next year, we will have three stages for the women, and it will be on the same level, 2.pro race," Hegreberg stated.
News previously stated in various media outlets that the event was set to have its funding cut by the Norwegian government, but Hegreberg doesn't see it that way, "Yeah, it's frustrating, if I can say," Hegreberg exclaimed. "Luckily, this is only a temporary budget from the governing party, and they don't have a majority, so they need four other parties to work with. I know that at least one of the other parties has put our money back into the budget, and they also went out in the media saying they would fight for this money. So I think that will be handled and secured."
Despite its growth, the Tour of Norway has no immediate plans to pursue World Tour status. "If the possibility would open up, it's something we would consider, but it's not really what we work for," explained Hegreberg. "The positive thing with being two pro races is that the young talents in Norway can also be on the starting line."
The race typically takes place in late May, showcasing Norway at one of its most beautiful times of the year. "In the date we have at the end of May, it's maybe one of the most beautiful times of the year," said Hegreberg. "We can have almost 30 degrees and sun, and there is still snow in the mountains. The grasses are green, and it looks really, really amazing."
