Yes, we should be able to get access to upload photos and update the blog - hopefully on a daily basis. So keep connected and follow us on our ultimate challenge (at least until the next one anyway...).
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Are there any media facilities during the race?
What about activities other than cycling?
Depending of course on weather and level of exhaustion we hope to find time for some other activities.
Apparently the area is not only great for scenery but also has a wide range of outdoor adventure activities such as glacier trecking, white water rafting, horse riding etc to offer.
Any idea what the weather might be like?
It's Norway, in the mountains, in the middle of the wettest summer on record. What do you think?
For latest weather forecast for the local area see the link provided to the right...
OK, so when does the race start?
Saturday 21st July 2007, 5pm. That's the 1st start time for the prologue.
It'll take us about 13 hours to drive from Älmhult to Vik, so we're setting off early on Friday morning in order to arrive at our lodging before dark. After a sound Norwegian breakfast (probably something with lots of wheat and sour milk) we'll check out the bikes and check in at the race office. You never know, we might even squeeze in a quick rece of the prologue route (from the summit finish back to the start line of course!).
Will we be trying to win?
Unfortunately many of the timed sections on the toughest stages stop at the summit, depriving those of us who weigh three times as much as Michael "the chicken" Rasmussen the advantage to be gained on the steep downhill final stretches. Anyway, that's my excuse. My only competitor is myself - and he usually gets well and truly beat!
Stephan on the other hand is a bit of a dark horse. If the wind is blowing strong and the rain falling horizontally, don't count him out. Fair weather cyclists look out !!
What will Mike be doing?
After a tough season forced out of the saddle by sickness Mike won't be joining the tour (although we are bringing a 3rd bike in case he fancies a quick spin into the mountains!). Instead of cycling Mike'll be helping out as driver, mechanic, coach, masseur (unless we can find a qualified Norwegian masseusse slightly prettier than Mike), chef, blogger and photographer. In training he's not yet succeeded in mending a broken arm at 75km/h while driving - but we'll see if the adrenalin raises his game...
What does the schedule look like?
The organisers of this year's Viking Tour clearly have a typically Norwegian sense of humour! Two time trials on the rest day :-0 A killer of a mountain stage calculated with an estimated average speed of 32km/h !!! Anyway, here's what we'll be getting up to over the next week....
Time schedule DBS Viking Tour 2007
Friday 20.7 Viksøyri
Valhalla opens: 14:00
Check in 15:00 – 17:00
Saturday 21.7 Viksøyri Prologue
Check in 10:00 - 16:00
First start. 17: 00
Last rider to finish 19:40
Warm food for sale: 19:00
WELCOMING BRIEFING
and Shirt Ceremony: 21:00
Sunday 22.7. Viksøyri – Gloppen
Breakfast 06:30-08.00
Touring can leave from: 06.50
Luggage delivery & evt. spare
clothes for timing-line 06.45 - 08:00
Ferries from Vangsnes (07:35) 09:00 09:40
Last ferry arriving in Dragsvik: 10:15
Start line up & Briefing 10:30
Start 10:35
First rider to timing line ca. 14:50
First rider to finish ca 15:25
Last rider to finish ca 18:30
Warm casserole for sale 16:30–19:30
Prize ceremony- Leader shirts: 21:00
Monday 23.7. Gloppen - Geiranger
Breakfast 07:00-08.30
Touring can leave from 07:45
Luggage delivery & evt. spare
clothes for timing-line 07.00 - 08:00
Ferries from Anda 07:55 08:15 08:50
Ferries in Lote 08:05 08:25 10:00
Start line up & Briefing in Stryn: 11:55
Start 12:00 (We try to wait if anyone is late.)
First rider to timing line ca. 15:30
First rider to finish 16:00
Last rider to finish ca 18:00
Warm food for sale 16:30 Pasta Buffet in Hotel Geirangers Bistro.
Prize ceremony- Leader shirts: 20:00
Geiranger is a logistical challenge, but the wish from former participants to return again is clear. So we do.
Every hour between 17:00 and 23:00, there will be free transport between Valhalla at the school downtown and the second Valhalla 1km up the road.
Showers are available for all men at the lower Valhalla (school) and for everyone at the Geiranger camping, just 30 meters away. The Camping showers cost NOK 10,- which you can get from the Info Point.
The upper Valhalla has more charm, toilets and good washing facilities, but there are no showers.
Tuesday 24.7. Geiranger - Juvasshytta - Lom
Breakfast Startnr.: 300-200: 06:00 - 06.30 (Including Touring)
200-100: 06:30 - 07:00
100-001: 07:00 - 07:30
Touring can leave from 07.00
Luggage delivery 06.45 - 07:45
Start line up & Briefing 07:50
Start 08:00
First rider to timing line ca. 13:00
First rider to finish 14:00
Last rider to finish ca 17: 00
Warm food for sale from 15:00 - “Skjåk County Power Soup” Buffet.
Prize ceremony: 20:00
Wednesday 25.7. Lom - Gaupne
Breakfast 08.00 - 09:30
Touring can leave from 08.30
Clothes for timing-line 08.20 - 09:00
Luggage delivery
Start line up & Briefing 09.50
Start 10:00
First rider to timing line ca. 11:40
First rider to finish 13:00
Last rider to finish ca 16:30 (16 km/t including breaks/photos)
Warm food for sale 14:00 -
Prize ceremony: 19:00
Thursday 26.7. Gaupne
Breakfast Start nr. 1-100 06: 00 -06:45+All TTT riders.
Start nr. 101-200 06: 45 -07:30
Start nr. 201-300 07: 30 -08:30
Team Time Trial 2 minute start intervals.
Briefing 07:55
First start 08:00
Last start: ca. 07:20 (if 10 teams)
Last team to finish: 08:10 (if 36km/t)
Individual Time Trial 30 second start intervals.
Drafting punished !
Briefing 08:45
First start 09:00
Last start: 11:20 ( supposing 280 starts)
Last rider to finish: 12:35 (app 18km/t)
Warm food 15:00 - 19:00
Crew race 19:00 - …..?
One lap + hill finish. 5 km.
(Organized if enough followers, friends and family enter.)
Prize ceremony. Leader Shirts. 20:00
Friday 27.7. Gaupne - Viksøyri
Breakfast:
Overall rank 200-300 06:00 -06:45
Overall rank 100-200 06:30 -07:15
Overall rank 1-200 07:00 -07:30
Luggage onto truck: 06:30 – 07:45
Leaving for Kaupanger: 06:30 - 07:45 (39km)
Boat leaves Kaupanger: 09:30
Boat to Gudvangen 12:05
Leave clothes etc in
Cargo carrier on docks: 12:00 - 12:20
Line-up & Briefing: 12:25
Start: 12:30
First rider to timing line app.: 15:00 (36 km/h)
First rider to Viksøyri app: 15:45
Last rider to Viksøyri app: 17:30 (18 km/h)
Warm food 17:00 - 21:00
Prize ceremony. Winner Shirts. 19.00
Saturday 28.8. Viksøyri
Valhalla closes 10:00
Why?
Good question !!
Purely for the personal challenge. Of course the chance to see a part of Norway which is reputed to be one of Europe's most beautiful locations, a fun week's vacation with some good friends, the special camaraderie of 300 like minded cycling enthusiasts all play a part but ultimately it's about DOING IT!
For the amateur road cycling fan there are few challenges to match the Viking Tour which can be tackled during a normal vacation. Of course you can design your own endurance/long tour challenge. Round Britain, Northernmost to southernmost points in Europe, across the USA etc. The difference with the Viking Tour is that it's a properly organised stage race, it takes a week to complete and it's in some of the toughest mountain terrain possible. Just the kind of on the limit crazy challenge I was looking for as a next step up the "dumb things on a bike" ladder from the 300km annual Vättern Runt in Sweden which I've now completed on 4 occasions.
Hoping not to have to do the trip on my own I ran the idea past Stephan, a German friend and cycling comrade who also lives and works here in Älmhult in southern Sweden. With Stephan committing to the challenge we thought it would be a huge benefit to have a support driver / photographer / coach / general helper along and to our delight Mike answered the call. All that was left to do was sign up, get some training done and try to avoid looking at the route profile and stage descriptions which were now beginning to appear on the Viking Tour webpage!
What is the Viking Tour?
The Viking Tour 2007 is the 3rd annual running of one of Europe's toughest road bike stage races. Starting and finishing in the Norwegian town of Vik, northeast of Bergen, the race is limited to a maximum of 300 participants. This year entrants come from as far afield as Ecuador, Pakistan, The Phillipines, Rwanda and many Eoropean countries.
Starting on Saturday 21st July with a challenging 6km prologue and ending on Friday 27th the race covers 700km and includes over 11,000 metres of ascent (and descent) in the mountain and fjord country of southern Norway.
Whilst many have trained to take the race very seriously and compete for every second and the traditional "king of the mountains", "sprinter" and overall leaders jerseys others are there for the challenge and sense of personal achievement.
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