The Women’s WorldTour calendar will be one race shorter in 2025 following the cancellation of the Tour of Scandinavia, which has been scrapped due to a lack of support from sponsors and host broadcasters.
The race’s organiser confirmed the decision this week in a statement posted on the event’s official website. The statement revealed that Ladies Tour of Norway AS, the company behind the Tour of Scandinavia, has been dissolved. This follows the event’s absence in 2024, which was attributed to financial difficulties. Furthermore, the race struggled to attract significant broadcaster interest in Norway.
“We have worked diligently since last summer to revive the WorldTour race after last year’s cancellation,” the statement read. “We were making significant progress with the race concept, host municipalities, and international TV distribution, which looked promising. However, we have not been able to build a brand that appeals to media, sponsors, and key stakeholders in Norway.”
The organiser also pointed out the lack of national TV coverage, with no Norwegian channels, such as NRK and TV2, willing to broadcast the race despite covering production costs. Without this essential media exposure, securing sponsorship and financial backing has proven challenging.
Without national TV coverage, sponsors, and a federation that lacks enthusiasm for supporting the WorldTour race domestically, it’s difficult to create a sustainable financial platform and generate the necessary excitement for a top-tier professional cycling event,” the statement continued.
Despite the cancellation, the organisers expressed pride in their contributions to the development of women’s cycling, citing the race’s legacy as one of the most recognized events on the Women’s WorldTour calendar.
The final edition of the race took place in 2023, with Annemiek van Vleuten emerging victorious. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig won the inaugural edition in 2022. The Tour of Scandinavia was the successor to the Ladies Tour of Norway, which had been held annually since 2014. Notable past winners of the Ladies Tour include Marianne Vos, Lucinda Brand, and Anna van der Breggen, with Vos claiming victory three times.
While the cancellation marks a significant loss for the Women’s WorldTour, the calendar will feature the long-awaited women’s Milan-San Remo in March 2025, adding a new highlight to the season.
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