Invitation to Vasaloppet's 100th anniversary year with Cykelvasan in August 2022

International press release from Vasaloppet, Sweden

When Northern Europe's biggest mountain bike race Cykelvasan is held again in 2022, it will be during Vasaloppet's 100th anniversary year. Cykelvasan, a race that saw the light of day in 2009, welcomes cyclists from all over the world to the 90 km historic Vasaloppet Arena, located in the county of Dalarna in central Sweden. "Biking Dalarna" is Sweden's largest mountain biking paradise.

The ski Vasaloppet with its classic 90 km is the world's biggest cross-country ski race. This main race, held each year on the first Sunday in March, attracts 15,800 registered skiers. The first Vasaloppet took place as early as 1922 in memory of Swedish king-to-be Gustav Vasa's adventure in Dalarna four hundred years earlier.

Since 2009, the mountain bike version Cykelvasan is also held annually, with the main race “Cykelvasan 90” running across 94 km between the towns Sälen and Mora with 13,000 registered participants, both elite cyclists and exercisers. Almost as many participate in the other mountain bike races that same weekend.

Thus “Cykelvasan 90” is the whole traditional Vasaloppet but with mountain bikes instead of skis. The start is in Sälen and you pass by all the famous Vasaloppet checkpoints on your way to the Mora finish line. The 94 km race is a real challenge, run on 87.1 km of forest road or gravel, and 6.9 km of asphalt. Inflate your tires and get your helmet on!

Vasaloppet’s Summer Week, held in August every year, consists of two weekends. The second weekend welcomes runners from around the world but the first weekend is all about mountain bike cycling, starting on Thursday and Friday with the short invitational sprint race ”Cykelvasasprinten” by the Lindvallen hotel in Sälen. The 94 km ”Cykelvasan Öppet Spår” also runs on Friday, starting at the classic Vasaloppet start point in Berga by in Sälen, just like the main 94 km mountain bike race ”Cykelvasan 90” which runs on Saturday, August 13, 2022, with elite cyclists competing for the victory wreaths. The shorter Sunday races ”Ungdomscykelvasan” (for youths up to 16 years of age), ”Cykelvasan 30” and ”Cykelvasan 45” start in Oxberg.

Vasaloppet's Winter Week with its cross-country skiing and Summer Week with mountain biking and running normally attract a total of almost 100,000 registered participants every year. Since the beginning in 1922 over 1.7 million participants have skied, run or cycled through the finish line portal in Mora.

In 2020 and 2021, recreational cyclists completed a home edition of Cykelvasan but on August 19, 2021, elite competitions could finally be held on location again. The women's class winner Jennie Stenerhag from Sweden was the favourite to win and she got her fifth victory while the men's class winner Kristian Klevgård came as a surprise, snatching Norway's first men's class win in Cykelvasan.

The 90 km Vasaloppet Arena is located in Sweden's largest cycling paradise, called "Biking Dalarna". Here paths wind through dense pine forest, as do berms with nice flow and beautiful views. "Biking Dalarna" gathers the best trails and annually attracts large numbers of cross-country cyclists to the region.

“Biking Dalarna” is a collaboration between cycling areas that works to offer guests high-quality cycling experiences. With joint trail marking, trail grading and good services in the surrounding area, this is Sweden's biggest cycling paradise for cross-country and downhill. Here are 21 cycling areas with a total of 1,400 km of marked trails for cross-country and 25 trails for downhill.

Vasaloppet is a non-profit making organization owned by the sports clubs IFK Mora and Sälens IF. An engine for public health and sports club activities. Vasaloppet's classic slogan since 1923 is “In forefathers' tracks for future victories.”

”We hope that you keep training out there and work to reach your goal of cycling in forefathers’ tracks with us next summer,” says Johan Eriksson, CEO of Vasaloppet. “Welcome to Sweden in 2022!”

Registration for Vasaloppet's Summer Week 2022 opens on September 26, 2021 at Vasaloppet's website www.vasaloppet.se/en

Read more about the Vasaloppet Arena:
www.vasaloppet.se/en/about-us/the-vasaloppet-arena

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The races of Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2022

Bike and running races for everyone in the Vasaloppet Arena. Registration for the races in Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2022 opens at 08:00 am CET on Sunday, September 26, 2021

Bike races 2022
• Friday, August 12
Cykelvasan Öppet Spår 94 km, start Sälen
Cykelvasasprinten 1 km, Lindvallen, Sälen
• Saturday, August 13
Cykelvasan 90 94 km, start Sälen
• Sunday, August 14
Cykelvasan 45 45 km, start Oxberg
Cykelvasan 30 32 km, start Oxberg
Ungdomscykelvasan 32 km, start Oxberg (for youths)

Running races 2022
• Friday, August 19
Trailvasan 10 10 km, start Mora
• Saturday, August 20
Ultravasan 90 90 km, start Sälen
Ultravasan 45 45 km, start Oxberg
Trailvasan 30 30 km, start Oxberg
Vasastafetten 90 km, running relay for ten-person teams, start Sälen
Vasakvartetten 90 km, running relay for four-person teams, start Sälen

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High-resolution photos from Vasaloppet and Cykelvasan
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vasaloppet/latest_medi

Text and photos may be freely published.

For more information
Camilla Sandy, Vasaloppet Press Manager
+46 (0)70-384 95 00
camilla.sandy@vasaloppet.se

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