The opening stage with both the start and finish in Voss is going to offer a thrilling start for the riders. In Ulvik, after 67 kilometers, the first intermediate sprint of the year awaits, where bonus seconds and sprint points will be contested. Soon after, the first categorized climb up Espedalen to Drevtjørn follows, covering 8.7 kilometers with an average gradient of just under 4%.
The riders won't get much rest before facing Skjervet, a 3,4-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 5.4%. According to Strava, Norwegian speed skating talent Sigurd Henriksen has set the fastest time up this climb in 2023 during the Bergen-Voss race. It will be interesting to see if that record still stands after the Tour of Norway passes through this year! After Skjervet, the riders will navigate through a hilly terrain towards the concluding climb up to Voss Resort/Bavallen.
In 2022, world star Remco Evenepoel convincingly won after a duel with Uno-X's climbing talent, Tobias Halland Johannesen. The ascent to the finish at Voss Resort is four kilometers long, with just under a 6% average gradient.
A true puncheur finale will determine who gets to wear the Repsol leader's jersey for the first time in 2024!