The opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Norway Women was shaped by attacking intent, relentless climbing, and a tactical masterclass from AG Insurance-Soudal, culminating in a breakthrough win for Justine Ghekiere at the summit finish in Heja.
From the start in Jørpeland, the peloton faced a rolling 101-kilometre course featuring three ascents of the short but punishing 2.3km climb to Heja, averaging 7.7%. After a cautious opening phase, the first ascent served as a teaser of what was to come, thinning the field and offering a preview of the decisive finale.
Between the first and second ascents, a two-rider move animated the race. Tiril Jørgensen of Team Coop-Repsol and Nele Laing of the German LKT Team bridged the flatter midsection of the route with a determined escape. The pair built a small but notable gap, forcing some urgency in the chase behind as the favourites’ teams kept them on a short leash. Their effort was brought to heel on the approach to the second climb, as the peloton began to split under pressure from the increasingly aggressive pace.
With one lap remaining, the race exploded. AG Insurance-Soudal committed to the front, initiating a fierce tempo that reshaped the bunch. Sarah Gigante, back for her first race since undergoing iliac artery surgery, surged up the penultimate climb and continued to push on the run-in. As the gradient bit again on the final climb, she was joined by Ashleigh Moolman, who drove the pace into the last kilometre.
With the group reduced to a handful, Ghekiere bided her time before launching a late move that saw her reel in a strong Lauren Dickson in the final metres. The Belgian crossed the line one second clear, taking her first victory since her Tour de France Femmes stage win last summer – and just the third of her career. Gigante completed the team’s dominant display by claiming third, five seconds back.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyReactions after the stage
“It’s a big relief to score my first victory of the year,” Ghekiere said after the finish. “I’m very happy to break the ice and finally get a win. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of this incredible team, as they all did a great job, protecting me the entire day and putting me in a perfect position to launch my attack. Sunday another hard stage awaits, but we’ll take it on with a lot of confidence and motivation to do our best in order to keep the jersey.”
Gigante, whose performance marked a major return to form in her first race back from iliac artery surgery, added: “I didn’t expect any miracles today, but sure feel like I got one! Our QOM Queen Justine took the win after an epic team performance from every rider. We had three U23 riders join us from our development squad, with Tess, Margot and Amandine all being absolutely fantastic in their support. I was thrilled to be feeling strong enough to race aggressively up the hills and hold onto third place. I set a hard pace from the bottom of the final climb, then attacked again with 1km to go before being caught by Justine and Lauren Dickson. This is just my second ever podium in Europe… it makes me quite proud to know that I’m back for real now and that all the determination paid off.”
Eva van Agt, sixth on the stage for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, was also satisfied with her showing: “I got everything out of it. I just have to be satisfied with this. The race went according to plan. We were in control the whole time and Linda and Margaux were very attentive to the attacks from the peloton. It was super nice that they took on that work. We knew it was going to be tough on the penultimate climb. There the peloton broke into pieces and there were still three of us in front. AG Insurance kept the pace high, putting us in a seat to the final climb. From there it was very fair: the strongest won. We all finished where we belong.”
With a five-second lead over Dickson and a lumpy final stage to Stavanger remaining, Ghekiere will wear the leader’s jersey into Sunday with a shot at her first overall stage race victory.
2025 Tour of Norway Women Stage 1 result
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