Home victory
August 8 th 2017 - 11:20
The pride and joy we feel when welcoming the world's best riders andtheir teams, TV crews, national and international press, our Frenchorganizing partners, the many race partners, visiting cycling fans, etcetera, these feelings we share with many people. So far, hundredsof thousands of inhabitants up north have had the pleasure of hostingone or several ARN stages. And many more will follow.
People who take on this role of hospitality come in many varieties,regardless of how large we define their ”flock”. They may be youngtalents from the local cycling club who get to meet their idols beforethe start, ladies from the area's handicraft association who put upa café, selling their own products, the local business organizinga crazy spinning session alongside the road or perhaps the familywhose house is located in the periphery, who nonetheless gets TVtime during the live broadcast, along with Alexander Kristoff and Edvald Boasson Hagen.
There is a home victory, even when the stage winner or overall championbears the foreign name of Degenkolb, Kruijswijk or Moscon. Towitness great cycling stars from abroad who take the trip above theArctic Circle to compete in landscapes powered by North-Norwegianscenery, this is not only a tribute to our northern region, it is a recognitionof Norway as a destination that offers great adventures. In thisresides the uniqueness of a stage race as a sports event: the arenachanges in harmony with the landscapes and the race explores newareas each year.
This year the Arctic Race of Norway is going home to Engenes onAndørja. We are also headed home to Narvik, home to Sjøvegan,home to Bardufoss, home to Lyngseidet, home to Finnvikdalen andfinally, home to Tromsø. Moreover, we go home to all the towns andvillages that we meet en route. Our remarkable spectators havemade a tradition out of creating great animations along the route,powered by what we may call refer to as healthy madness. Beforethe professional riders arrive, spectators may enjoy the ARN caravan,with the possibility of collecting goodies or winning great prizes. And,of course, there is the power of Dag Otto Lauritzen.
The 2017 route holds both beauty and variation. We expect a fiercebattle for the trophy, especially when you consider the finale in Tromsø,which presents a demanding inner-city circuit. To predict the outcomeof our cycling competition is not easy, but I feel confident of onegeneral thing regarding the Arctic Race of Norway 2017: we willhave a home victory.
We welcome everyone to this year's great race!