Vätternrundan facts for kids
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| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | mid-June |
| Region | Sweden |
| Discipline | cyclosportive |
| Type | one-day |
| History | |
| First edition | 1966 |
Vätternrundan is a super long bike ride held every year in Sweden. It's not a race where you compete against others. Instead, it's a challenge to see if you can cycle around Lake Vättern! The main ride is about 315 km (196 mi) long. This is about 196 miles.
Thousands of people from all over the world come to join this amazing event. It happens over two weekends in June. In 2011, nearly 28,000 cyclists finished the ride. Many different countries were represented.
About Vätternrundan
Vätternrundan is a type of event called a cyclosportive. This means it's a long-distance cycling event for fun, not a race. You ride for yourself and try to finish the course.
The main 315 km course goes all the way around Lake Vättern. It starts and finishes in the town of Motala. About 20 out of every 100 riders come from outside Sweden.
How the Ride Works
Cyclists start in small groups of 60 or 70 people. Each group leaves about two minutes after the last one. The first group usually starts on Friday evening at 7:30 pm. The last group starts around 5:30 am on Saturday morning.
In 2010, a new starting time was added for faster riders. These cyclists aim to finish the ride in less than 9 hours. They can start later, between 9:00 am and 9:30 am on Saturday. This helps them have fewer other cyclists to pass. It also makes the ride safer for everyone. All riders must finish the course by midnight on Saturday.
Vätternrundan does not rank riders by speed. It only measures each rider's own time. Small devices on your helmet track your start and finish times. After the event, all times are posted online.
Support and Safety
Along the course, there are about nine stops. These stops offer food and drinks to keep riders energized. You can also find first aid if you need it. Some stops even offer free massages for tired muscles!
When you finish the ride, you get a medal and a certificate. You are also offered a meal. For safety, support cars are not allowed on the course. Personal stops for supplies are also not allowed. This helps keep the roads clear and safe for all riders.
Riders who drive home after the event must wait at least six hours. This is because being very tired after the ride can be dangerous. Police sometimes check drivers to make sure they are rested.
History of the Ride
The first Vätternrundan was held in 1966. Only 334 people completed the course that year. The course originally went the other way around the lake. It was changed in 1974.
The event was started by a doctor named Sten-Otto Liljedahl. He was a sports medicine expert. He got the idea for the ride while spending summers in Motala. He wanted to study how training and food affected people during long rides. In 2011, a statue was put up to remember him.
The 2020 Vätternrundan was canceled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 event was moved from June to early September for the same reason.
Other Events
Vätternrundan is part of something called the Swedish Classic Circuit. This is a series of famous sporting events in Sweden. It is also connected to the Scandinavian Circuit Tour, which is another series of cycling events.
