“I always love racing in Norway and Scandinavia,” she explained. “I have had some good results and podiums here so that gives me some motivation. I will be here to help my teammates this year. We are coming off of some good results so are hoping to add to that."
It has been a tough year for Alice since a crash forced her out of the winning group in Classic Brugge-De Panne while she was on one of her best days. It has been an arduous journey back from that injury, the high point at which came when she lined up for the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
She wrote on Instagram, “I think little Alice would be pretty mind blown if she knew she would be starting the Tour de France.” The race didn’t go totally to plan, but Barnes raced with great resilience before unfortunately missing the time cut on the grueling stage to the Col du Tourmalet. Since then, she has been racing in Belgium and focusing on herself.
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- Her first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a dream come true for Alice. Photo: Getty Sport
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- Climbing through the mist on the giant Col du Tourmalet. Photo: Getty Sport
“I had some time off the bike after the Tour and have spent some time with friends and family,” she said. “Training has gone well since and I got back into racing in Belgium over the weekend, so I will hopefully have some speed back in my legs.”
Barnes has battled to keep motivation high.
“It has been a tough year since my injury, which at times has been demoralizing, but I have kept motivated to do what I can to help my teammates.”
Down to go wheel-to-wheel against the team will be defending champion Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ – SUEZ), Giro and Vuelta victor Annemiek van Veluten (Movistar Team) and her Tour de France Femmes stage-winning teammates Emma Norsgaard and Lianne Lippert, Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM Racing), Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step) and European champion Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx).
You won’t want to miss it so let’s dive deeper into the route.
Tour of Scandinavia stage by stage
8/23 Stage 1 | Mysen – Halden (124.6km) Rolling
Stage 1 of the Tour sets the tone for the majority of the week. A stage with rolling pitches throughout, the peloton will take on a two-lap circuit around the 1.5km at 5.9% Fredriksten Fortress climb before finishing on the flat in Halden. A day for sprinters who can hold their own on steep ramps.
8/24 Stage 2 | Vikersund – Norefjell (150.5km) Mountain finish
Just like the queen stage of last year's race, we once again climb to Norefjell. This time though, the riders will approach from a different direction via the 10km long Drupsjøen climb. They will then race across a 9km plateau to the finish with the race most likely blown apart at this point.
8/25 Stage 3 | Kongsberg – Larvik (134.9km) Rolling
There is more climbing to tackle on stage 3 with a category one hill immediately followed by an equally tough uncategorized climb mid-stage. The rolling finish to Larvik and the rising false flat run-in may well suit a breakaway.
8/26 Stage 4 | Herning – Herning (16.5km) ITT
A crucial day for the GC, the first day in Denmark opens with a technical time trial around the streets of Herning. With no hill to speak of, this TT will be about a symbiotic relationship between straight-line speed, aerodynamics and cornering ability. Barnes, Cordon-Ragot, and Williams will be the ones to watch.
8/27 Stage 5 | Middelfart – Haderslev (143.9km) Rolling
The final day in Denmark takes elements from stages one and three. With four ascents of the 1.1km long, 4.4% finishing climb, it will suit punchy riders like Alice Barnes who could either trigger an attack on one of the earlier laps or hold out for a group dash to the line.
Test your Scandi knowledge
What group of nations make up Scandinavia?
a) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland
b) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Åland
c) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Åland, Greenland
How many Norwegian expressions for snow are there?
a) 100+
b) 1
c) 10
Where are Danish pastries from originally?
a) Denmark
b) The LEGO factory
c) Austria
What is the national dish of Norway?
a) Mutton and cabbage stew
b) Salmon in dill
c) Meatballs
What is Gravlax?
a) A form of cross-country skiing
b) Cured salmon
c) An ABBA B-side
Tour of Scandinavia roster
Alice Barnes
Nina Buijsman
Audrey Cordon-Ragot
Barbara Malcotti
Daria Pikulik
Lily Williams
How to watch
Catch all the action from Scandinavia on Eurosport/GCN+ with broadcasts starting each day from around 10 am CST / 17:00 CET. You can also keep up with all the team action with on-the-ground updates across social media.
Answers
What group of nations make up Scandinavia?
a) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland
b) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Åland
c) Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Åland, Greenland
How many Norwegian expressions for snow are there?
a) 100+
b) 1
c) 10
Where are Danish pastries from originally?
a) Denmark
b) The LEGO factory
c) Austria
What is the national dish of Norway?
a) Mutton and cabbage stew
b) Salmon in dill
c) Meatballs
What is Gravlax?
a) A form of cross-country skiing
b) Cured salmon
c) An ABBA B-side
