Viking Tour 07 - Iain & Stephan's blog

Photos now ready!

2007-08-12T13:12:00.000+02:00

Mike, who took the majority of the photographs, has done a fantastic job of editing and organising all the images. You can see them all at his website : http://web.mac.com/mikecrawshaw (Click on the link to the right) ENJOY!!!

On the bike again - next year's condition training starts today!

2007-08-11T01:15:00.000+02:00

Firstly - at last some more pictures are available. See the new link to the right, below the chat box.

Today I venture back on the bike for the first time in 2 weeks. It's the annual Älmhult 1/4 Classic, an event which I founded 4 years ago. Contestants swim, cycle, in-line and run a quarter distance of each of the "Swedish Classics" - non stop! It's usually a fun day, though looks like it might also be a wet one....

Back home...

2007-07-29T12:41:00.000+02:00

After 12 hours solid driving we made it home late yesterday evening. We're in pretty good shape and are even thinking about taking the bikes out tomorrow.

All in all we had a fantastic week in Norway's fjordland. The cycling was tough, as tough as it should have been. The weather was mixed but the scenery was still amazing. We're delighted we took on the challenge and can only recommend it to anyone who is reasonably fit and wants to stretch themselves.

To all fellow Viking Tour participants - we've got hundreds of photographs from the last week. Most entrants are featured somewhere. We've already placed quite a few images on this blog and have now started to load them on the web which you can access from the links to the right. Eventually we'll edit, crop and post all the images so keep looking in on the blog and feel welcome to take your own copies of our photos if you wish.

Take care & cycle safely,
Iain, Stephan & Mike

Final stage - Vikings cycle home

2007-07-27T16:40:00.000+02:00

Well - we've done it, or most of it anyway. The important thing is that we've made it to the finish in one piece. We're a little wet, a bit cold and somewhat windswept but give us some time to warm up, grab a beer and get to the after race bar-b-q and we'll soon be talking about next year's race.

After a 2hr 30min fjord cruise todays's stage started with a rather simple 10km stretch, then BOOM BOOM!!.

We should pause for a minute to ask our dear readers a question. How many of you have even seen a 19% road capable of taking racing bikes and running for 1.5km? Not so many I guess. Even fewer have attemted to cycle up such an incline. Our tip for the day - keep it that way, don't do it, it's not good for you!

The killer climb behind us we then had a short descent before the final climb of the tour - 800m up to the top of the pass overlooking our race start and finish point, Vik. The weather Gods weren't too kind to us, throwing together some wind, rain, hail and chilly conditions, but we made it up all the same.

We'll close off the adventure with a summary posting tomorrow when we get home, but in the meantime we must say congratulations to EVERYONE who cycled this year's Viking Tour. Whether you competed for honours at the head of the pack or struggled against your own personal demons down the rankings, you're a hero, if a little crazy too!

Today is the rest day....

2007-07-26T23:02:00.000+02:00

So we're resting.

We skipped the time trials and focussed on our recuperation and preparation for tomorrow's final stage. We're heading back to Vik tomorrow, which of course involves about 1500m more ascent, including the infamous stretch of 1.6km at an average gradient of 18%!

Tomorrow we are the KINGS OF THE MOUNTAINS!

Stage 4 - REALLY back in business

2007-07-25T15:36:00.000+02:00

So, what do you think we did today? Yes, we got on our bikes, cycled up a hill as fast as we could, cycled down a hill then had a shower.

Today we were both in top form, setting off early in the touring class again and reaching the finish 110km later as 1st and 3rd to finish. The fast guys set off 90 minutes later and arrived about 1 hour after Stephan and 20 minutes after Iain. It's a pity the tour isn't at least 2 weeks long as we're both finding our form a little late in the week ;-)

So far there are no reports of any positive doping tests on the Viking Tour, although there were a few guys drinking the suspiciously "alcohol free" home made apple cider in Lom last night. Hopefully they had clear vision today as the stage demanded full concentration.

After 1030m of ascent over Norway's highest road pass we descended through rain, hail, sleet and virtually no visibility down 1400m to sea level. There then followed a beautiful 30km lake side ride in partial sunshine and 17 degrees - a great chance to warm up after the summit's chilly welcome.

Tomorrow is the rest day which means both the team and individual time trials. We're both possibly not cycling tomorrow - so a chance for some others to get their faces on the blog!

Stage 3 - Back in serious business

2007-07-24T21:04:00.000+02:00

Today was not a day for the faint hearted. Two mammoth climbs with 80km of fast downhill in between. Some legs will be sleeping well in Valhalla tonight. The rain kept down to a drizzle and a couple of showers with things warming up (in climbing as well as weather terms) in the afternoon. Many riders completed their toughest ever day in the saddle today - RESPECT!

Stephan took in the first climb before being joined by Iain for the fun part. A shallow slope and some long flats all the way down to Lom where the route to the second climb began. Stephan also retired from the full tour at this point, saving his weary legs for the days ahead. Both of us took a swim in the hotel pool this afternoon and are ready for whatever tomorrow throws at us.

The battle for victory at the head of the pack today sounded more like a war of attrition, with most of the leading pack too tired to attack, the winners were those who survived.

Stage 2 - Avalanche disrupts Viking Tour!

2007-07-24T20:46:00.000+02:00

Today the Viking Tour went luxury class! A short 35km stage with a mild incline was followed by a fjord boat cruise and dinner in a streetside cafe. That wasn't the original plan. Unfortunately some last minute changes had to be made to avoid some dangerous ice threatening to block the original route - a remnant from an avalanche. Now how many cycle competitions in Europe in July get diverted by avalanches?

Yesterday had been a tough today for Iain, who was scared off by today's planned route and decided to step out. Stephan powered ahead, once again reaching the stage finish well before the official winner as he was able to set off early. Interesting to see if today's shorter route allows some of the elite class to put in an even bigger breakaway effort on tomorrow's two killer climbs.

Things could get quite hairy tomorrow!

Stage 1 - a bit of climbing!

2007-07-22T20:49:00.000+02:00

05:30 wake up then after breakfast we set off the 10km to catch the ferry to the official start line of stage 1. A we are cycling in the touring class we were able to sneak a start on the serious guys and girls by catching the early ferry, thus starting at 08:20 rather than 11:00. We also appeared to have sneaked a start on the organisers - as none of the route direction signs or feeding depots were in place as we went through.

Stephan set off at a good pace and 5hrs 57 minutes and 38 seconds, 144.5km and 2189 ascending metres later he was 1st to reach today's timed stage finish line. Iain took things his way, finding it tough on the big climbs (and a bit easier on the downhills) and reached the timing line after 9 hours.

There seemed to be a real battle for today's stage victory with a group of about 6 racing towards the summit fnish, but we cannot yet report the official results. All we can say is that these guys go up mountains faster than we do the flats!

After the additional 27km to the finish line / tour camp we've now settled into our cosy cabin, deciding how many beers we need to have with our pasta. Tomorrow's another day....

Prologue - Vik 5.8km

2007-07-21T19:48:00.000+02:00

We've just completed the challenging 335m ascent of the 5.8km long prologue stage. Statistics as follows :

Distance 5.8 km
Ascent 335m
Temp Ave 22
Temp Max 24
Temp min 22
Iain
Time 29min 5sec
Ave. speed 12.2km/h
Ave pulse 167
Max pulse 177
Calories 690

Stephan
Time 23min 4sec
Ave. speed 15.4km/h
Ave pulse 150
Max pulse 177

Time now for some well deserved pasta, pack the car and prepare for the real thing tomorrow!

Final preparations

2007-07-21T14:58:00.000+02:00

Surely it's not healthy to eat 5kg of carbohydrate in one day?

Anyway, fresh after the morning training run all that is left to do is have lunch, relax and wait. Already the course is being prepared and the atmosphere in Vik is building up ahead of the prologue's 5pm start.

The international mix of this year's start list is evident from the number of languages heard in the villages's shops & cafes (unless it's just 20 different Norwegian dialects we're hearing!).

D Day!

2007-07-21T14:39:00.000+02:00

Finally, months of training and preparation are over. Today we start to race!

After a healthy breakfast we checked in at the race office, getting our numbers, chips and race book and meeting the race leader, Geir. Together with a large group of volunteers Geir has somehow succeeded in organising an international cycling competition in this spectacular but logistically challenging location. Great work guys!

Afterwards we set off for a training run. The pattern for the coming week has been set - Stephan cycled up the full length of the prologue climb, Iain cycled half way then found a suitable flat section to do some more training on.

From what we've seen so far, do the locals look like they may be at an advantage?

2007-07-20T23:40:00.000+02:00

Recent events have made us consider long and hard whether we should withdraw from the "competitive" timed class and transfer to the non-timed class instead. In the interests of the future of cycling we have decided to do so. Without us posing a serious threat, the other riders won't need to use drugs!! It would also have been a shame to cycle too fast through this beautiful Norwegian scenery. Better to slow down and enjoy the view.

So far so good..

2007-07-20T23:34:00.000+02:00

Packed, fed, watered & off we go. A 14 hour journey through some of the most fantastic scenery later we've arrived in Vik. Almost midnight and the light is just fading. Took a sneak lok at the prologue route on the way here - looks pretty easy although we were driving it the wrong direction!

Norway awaits us!

2007-07-19T23:09:00.000+02:00

Well, the wating is over and tomorrow morning we set off for beautiful Fjordland, sure of a warm welcome by the locals we hope !

What about special technique & equipment for the prologue?

2007-07-19T00:22:00.000+02:00

Having considered all the options, I think we'll settle for the traditional approach - go out too fast, try to hang on and die a thousand deaths for the last 5km.

Are there any media facilities during the race?

2007-07-18T21:31:00.001+02:00

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...).

What about activities other than cycling?

2007-07-18T21:24:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T21:21:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T21:13:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T20:47:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T20:38:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T18:19:00.000+02:00

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?

2007-07-18T15:52:00.000+02:00

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!

Tour route & profile

2007-07-18T15:49:00.000+02:00

What is the Viking Tour?

2007-07-18T15:25:00.000+02:00

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.