Cykelvasan 90

The Nordic region’s largest mountain bike race takes you on a historical journey in forefathers’ tracks. The start is in Sälen and it runs by all the classic Vasaloppet checkpoints. A total of 96 km of forest roads and wooden decking over bogs, through bright pine forests, past summer pastures and meadows down to the finish portal in Mora. Measure your strength against both the mountain bike elite and yourself. Inflate the tyres and get that helmet on!

– vasaloppet.se

One of my goals for this year was to complete Cykelvasan, which took place this weekend. It’s the biggest mountainbike race in the Nordics and I’ve been tempted to try it for a while, so during a weak moment on my buddy’s birthday party I talked him into joining me.

I rode Vätternrundan the week before midsummer, around the mid of June. I hadn’t done enough preparations so most of that race* was pain and suffer. I don’t mind that – it’s much of what road cycling is about – but Vasaloppet was much more enjoyable than Vätternrundan was this year. Vasaloppet is about a third of the distance, but it’s a lot more technical and the terrain is much more varied.

Most participants showed up with either full suspension or at least front suspension. My buddy and I both rode our stiff gravel bikes. I’m sure it’s an even more exciting race with full suspension, but we were able to push the cleaner parts of the trail much quicker. I had two really close calls through, when I failed to anticipate the terrain and went in way too fast.

When we picked up our bikes back in Sälen after the race, we spotted this bike and expected its owner to be hospitalized. Incredibly enough, he had only a few scratches and explained that he had been forced off the trail due to a crash in front of him. It was a carbon frame and he had already repaired it once, so I wonder if it would have made it if it wasn’t compromised already.

Over all it was a beautiful race. We got lucky with the weather, the race was amazingly well organized and we both finished without injuries. I’ll do it again :)

* Vätternrundan is a “motionslopp”, roughly translated to “exercise race”, and not an actual race like Ironman or so where you get to know how you placed compared to others.