As you might have seen on our website, Vatternrundan China was arranged two weeks ago up in Changbai Mountain.  

The original Vatternrundan in Sweden is the biggest road bike race in the world if you look at the number of participants. It is a race for amateur bikers and has been arranged in every June since 1966. In recent years, 17 500 bikers register every year to ride 300 km around the second biggest lake in Sweden, Vattern. This is the most number of bikers the organizer Motala AIF are able to have in the event.
From 8 pm on Friday 11^th of June to 5. 14 am on Saturday the 12^th this year, 280 groups with 60 riders in each started every second minute. The riders who are starting in the evening and night, until just before three o’clock when daylight returns, need to have lights on the bike although it is only a bit dark for two three hours in the summer on the latitudes round lake Vattern.
The track is very beautiful and the bikers can see the lake many times on their way around it.   

Vatternrundan not is at real competition with result lists and prices. People can enjoy the ride and take time to look around or stop in one of the nine food stations and enjoy the company of people with the same interest. Many bikers also get together and try to go as fast as they can in order to beat their neighbor or bike mate. There is electronic time registration though, so everyone can se when they start and finish, but no result list is published.
This big folk and bike festival lasts for more than one week since there is a Women’s Vattern, half Vattern and a children’s race the weekend before.

Bernt Johansson       If you have any questions or want to discuss cycling, training or something else with Bernt you can contact him at bernt@nordicways.com