We have to go back to 2017 to find the last time the race visited Odda. Back then, the race was called Tour des Fjords, and Odda was the starting city for the 3rd stage. In 2016, Tour des Fjords had a finish in Odda, where Alexander Kristoff secured victory after a sprint in a reduced peloton.
In this year's edition of the Tour of Norway, the 2nd stage will be the longest at 205 kilometers. From Odda, the riders will ride a hilly terrain towards the intermediate sprint in Etne after 70 kilometers, before facing the first categorized climb of the day in Hogganvikbakken. With its 3.5 kilometers and 5.4% gradient, Hogganvikbakken is a Category 3 climb. Then, the riders will tackle a series of uncategorized climbs on their way to the challenging finishing climb up to Gullingen. The conclusion is truly going to separate the wheat from the chaff, with its 5.8 kilometers and just under 9% average gradient. This is a stage that will likely shake things up in the general classification.
We would like to extend a big thank you to Suldal Municipality, Ullensvang Municipality, Ryfylkefondet and Norsk Stein, whose contributions made this stage possible!