Johan Landström and Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak won CykelVasan 2014

Johan Landström, Sweden, and Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak, Norway, won CykelVasan 2014 after dramatic battles in both the men and women classes. The largest mountain bike race in Sweden is a big manifestation of both elite and exercising participants.

Today, for the sixth year in a row, the CykelVasa 90 between Sälen and Mora was completed with a total of 12,000 registered participants! This is by far the largest mountain bike race in Sweden.

At 08.00 this morning the elite racers started their race in the chilly and damp village of Berga, Sälen. A large cluster of racers entered the first control at Mångsbodarna.

At the Evertsberg control, Emil Lindgren managed to win the Hill prize by spurting against Calle Friberg. These two racers had a small gap to the following cluster of racers.

The racers passed the new bridge over the Vasaloppsvägen in Oxberg, and Jesper Dahlström was the first racer to enter the control in Oxberg. At that time he had a seven second lead to following bikers.

In Hökberg, with 19 km to go, things had started to change in the front field of bikers. In the lead was Lucas Eriksson, Sweden’s current junior champion from Falköping. He had a six second lead over Norway’s Eirik Fiskvik, who had a whole 32 second gap to the following cluster of 16 strong racers.

Lucas Eriksson’s lead had increased to 11 seconds at the control in Eldris, but in Hemus the large cluster of racers had managed to catch up with the leader. On the homestretch Magnus Darvell was in the lead, but only 20 meters from the finish line, Johan Landström managed to pass Darvell and went on to win the race with the finish time of 2.45.59. This was the first win for Landström in the CykelVasa, last year he scored third place.

Dennis Wahlqvist finished third, followed by Emil Lindgren. What about the supertalent Lucas Eriksson? Well, he missed top ten, even though he finished only 5 seconds behind the winner.

Johan Landström reports that he was nervous racing today since the large front cluster of racers overall stayed together the whole race. Johan did not aim to win any spurt prizes:
– It was a hard competition today, but I was completely focused the entire time to go for the win. But it wasn’t until the last ten kilometers that other racers wanted to race and attack. The racers that didn’t have any spurt tried to break up the field, while the racers that had spurt tried to hold back. I also tried to avoid a spurt but I held up good anyway.

Landström describes the homestretch:
– After the bridge at the Campsite, Magnus Darvell managed to create a gap and went all in, but it was probably too soon for him to be able to keep it together. I also lost a lot of position there, but I still had great strength in my legs and I managed keep great speed. It looked like Magnus was fighting very hard to keep the speed up so all I had to do was to keep going!

How much do you value this win?
– Incredibly much, Johan Landström replies. I think it is the largest victory you can achieve within mountain biking, with the consideration of the whole Vasaloppet, its framework and all the people here.

Ladies
Hanna Bergman and Jennie Stenerhag, both from Falun and previous winners, broke free from the cluster and was racing together in the lead at the control Mångsbodarna. They were chased by Norway’s Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak; and Hudiksvall’s, an also previous winner, Emmy Thelberg. Jennie barely won the Hill prize in Evertsberg before Hovdenak and Bergman. These three bikers were still racing together in both Hökberg and Eldris.

Two weeks ago, Stenerhag won Grenserittet by 1 second battling Hovdenak, but today the 28 year old Norwegian racer got her revenge when she spurted passed Stenerhag on the homestretch and won the CykelVasa 2014. Hanna Bergman came in third and Emmy Thelberg fourth. For the World Cup Sprint racer Jenny Rissveds this competition was a planned long distance workout and she finished in seventh place.

Since the ladies’ trio in the lead was also racing against the men, they were all fighting hard to keep track of each other. This affected the Swedish long distance champion Jennie Stenerhag:
– I was looking forward to a homestretch spurt and I was in good standing until I was forced to slow down due to male racers that were in my way on the homestretch. But I will be satisfied with my second place.

This is the first time ever a Norwegian racer wins the CykelVasa:
– I came in fourth last year and I did not want that placement this year, Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak says. I am very happy with my win.

RESULTS

CykelVasan, 95 km Sälen-Mora, men, 16 August 2014
1  Landström, Johan (SWE) Motala AIF / CRESCENT 02:45:59
2  Darvell, Magnus (SWE) Team Kalas Merida 02:45:59
3  Wahlqvist, Dennis (SWE) Allebike Crosscountry ... 02:45:59
4  Lindgren, Emil (SWE) Giant Pro XC Team/CK N... 02:45:59
5  Höög, Gustav (SWE) CK Bure 02:45:59
6  Mehl, Vidar (NOR) Toyota Fuji Team / Vos... 02:46:01
7  Repshus, Steffan Hartz (NOR) Hedmark Terrengsykkel/... 02:46:01
8  Friberg, Calle (SWE) Järfälla CK 02:46:01
9  Jonsson, Olof (SWE) Allebike Crosscountry ... 02:46:02
10  Brengdahl, Daniel (SWE) Ck Hymer 02:46:02

CykelVasan, 95 km Sälen-Mora, ladies, 16 August 2014
1  Hovdenak, Hildegunn Gjertrud (NOR) Sogn CK 02:53:44
2  Stenerhag, Jennie (SWE) Falu CK 02:53:44
3  Bergman, Hanna (SWE) Falu CK 02:53:47
4  Thelberg, Emmy (SWE) Härnösands CK 02:57:15
5  Wold, Linda (NOR) Helios DBS Racing Team 03:00:30
6  Ferner, Felicia (SWE) Borlänge CK 03:04:45
7  Rissveds, Jenny (SWE) Falu CK 03:07:37
8  Larsson, Nellie (SWE) CKX 03:07:38
9  Mork Johansen, Maj (NOR)  03:08:04
10  Bergfeldt, Louise (SWE) Mora CK/Team Anders Sk... 03:08:56 

More results
http://results.vasaloppet.se/2014/?lang=EN

Livestreaming from the Finish in Mora
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9600071/events/3275279

Note
Registration to CykelVasan 2015 opens on 29 September 2014 at vasaloppet.se!

Previous CykelVasan winners, men
2009 Matthias Wengelin, Cykloteket RT, 2.43.27
2010 Magnus Darvell, Team Kalas/Pedalogerna, 2.39.00
2011 Jesper Dahlström, Motala AIF Cycle Club, 2.47.32
2012 Jesper Dahlström, Team Cykelcity, 2.47.20
2013 Fredrik Ericsson, CK Cykelcity.se, 2.43.01

Previous CykelVasan winners, ladies
2009 Hanna Bergman, Falu CK, 3.09.05
2010 Emmy Thelberg, Härnösands CK, 2.54.53
2011 Pia Sundstedt, Finland, 2.56.19
2012 Jennie Stenerhag, Falu CK, 3.02.06
2013 Alexandra Engen, GHOST Factory RT/Jönköpings CK, 2.55.37

Kranskulla and kransmas
This year’s kranskulla and kransmas – who bestew laurel wreaths on the winners (free photos below) – are Lisa Englund and Daniel Svensson respectively, both from Mora.

Vasalopps-TV comprises 15 minutes produced every day and to be viewed at www.vasaloppet.se. The programme, which can of course also been seen afterwards, will include a summary of the day, traffic information etc. Vasalopps-TV can also be viewed on YouTube: www.youtube.com/vasaloppet

Coming arrangements in Vasalopps Arena:

Vasaloppets summer week 2014:
Sat 23 Aug: UltraVasan 45. 45 km. Running race. Start Oxberg
Sat 23 Aug: UltraVasan 90. 90 km. Running race. Start Sälen. (1,000 entries. FULL 22/09/2013)
Sat 23 Aug: VasaStafetten. 4,5–15,1 km. Running relay race for 10 person teams. Start Sälen.

Vasaloppets winter week 2015 (cross country skiing):
Fri 27 Feb: KortVasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Sat 28 Feb: TjejVasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Sun 1 Mar: UngdomsVasan. 3, 5, 7 or 9 km. Start Mora Ski Stadium.
Sun 1 Mar: Öppet Spår Sunday. 90 km. Start Sälen. (10,000 entries. FULL 21/05/2014)
Mon 2 Mar: Öppet Spår Monday. 90 km. Start Sälen.
Tue 3 Mar: HalvVasan. 45 km. Start Oxberg.
Fri 6 Mar: StafettVasan. 24, 24, 14, 9 and 19 km. Start Sälen. (8,000 entries. FULL 16/03/2014)
Sun 8 Mar: Vasaloppet. 90 km. Start Sälen. (15,800 entries. FULL 16/03/2014)

High resolution photos from Vasaloppet and CykelVasan are here:
www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet/image/list
 
Or find photos below in this e-mail: "Relaterat material. Bilder (Photos)."

Text and photos may be freely published.

For further information

Ola Granfeldt, PR Manager
Tel: +46 (0)250-392 77
Mobile: +46 (0)733-550 620
E-mail: ola.granfeldt@vasaloppet.se

More about Vasaloppet?
www.vasaloppet.se
Press room: mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet
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Instagram: @vasaloppet
Twitter: @vasaloppet

Vasaloppet is the world’s biggest organiser of recreational races, all year round. Vasaloppets winter week with its cross country skiing and the summer week with mountainbike cycling and running attracted during 2013 a total of over 88,000 registered participants. Since the beginning in 1922 over one million participants have passed under the classic finish portal in Mora. Vasaloppet is a non-profit making organisation owned by IFK Mora and Sälens IF. An engine for public health and organisational activities, in the footsteps our forefathers for the victories of tomorrow!