Pictures on Flickr

Including some of the ones below, I've uploaded a few additional pictures on Flickr (here's a small selection):

Last post: My Viking figures

After seven days of racing, I ended at 29th place in my class, after racing for a total of 17 hours, 42 minutes and four seconds (overall result is unknown).

My Cateye bicycle computer reports that I've rolled a total of 819 kilometres on paved and graveled roads.

Due to lack of automatic recording, my Polar heart rate monitor reports about 100 kilometres shorter distance than the Cateye (722 km), during which I've climbed 10850 metres and burned 20117 kCal.

Finally, as stated previously, I sat a new personal speed record at 77 km/h. This happended twice: first on the descend from Juvasshytta on stage 3, and then on the last stage, probably on the descend to Vikøyri after the finish line.

Finished!

On top of Vikafjellet, the last stage ended in brilliant sunshine. Picture is a bit cheesy, but after this race I couldn't care less...

All that remains is to post a final report with results and other figures.

Sognefjorden

From the ferry to Gudvangen.

Ferry pause in Kaupanger

The last leg has started with a 39 km transport to Kaupanger, from where we take the ferry to Gudvangen. There, the last stage starts and takes us over the mountain to Vik - the place we started out from last Sunday.

Individual time trial in Gaupne

For those not part of a team, today has been a rather easy day with a 20 kilometer tempo - the teams did an additional 40 kilometres after the individual tempo. However, although short, the tempo was tough enough with a five kilometer climb at nine to ten degrees angle. Results are not ready yet, but look for them at vikingtour.no.

Tomorrow is the final stage of this year's viking tour, introducing what is supposed to be the steepest road in Norway, namely Stalheimskleiva with an average gradient of 18 degrees...!

Green food!

I am not used to live on bread, Maxim drinks and energy bars, and "mystery meat" sauce with pasta for dinner. So when I came across these fresh red pearls, I simply couldn't resist. Boy are they good!

Finish and food on Sognefjellet

Today's stage was completed as planned, with start in Lom and finish line just after the highest point of Sognefjellet, and then a transport down to sea level and into Gaupne.

Although today's stage has been rather short, it was really tough after the heavy climb yesterday; and tomorrow's tempo is not very tempting at the moment... On the other hand; although the tempo is intensive, it is shorter than a normal stage. In addition, the tempo involves no change of location - we're staying in Gaupne two nights now, hopefully giving some good rest before the last stage on Friday.

The climb to Juvass

Climbing from Lom to Juvass proved at least as tough as expected.

After the start, the main field darted towards the sprint and moved smoothly up to the exit for Juvass. Thereafter, it was all scattered up the hill.

Climbing 15 kilometres at an angle of 11 degrees is indeed tiresome, but the surprise comes on the descend: I smashed my previous speed record - the new is 77 km/h, while others got flat tires from overheated rims.

Resultwise, positions are more or less unchanged for the members of team Rye, which by the way is not a team because it takes four to make a team, and we're only three.

Transport to Lom

Due to work on the road, race start has been moved from Geiranger to Lom. So today's race will be one massive climb up the hill to Juvasshytta, i.e. 1470 metres uphill...

Geiranger!

Starting with one pretty heavy ascent and ending with a smaller yet steeper one, today's leg has been quite tough. Not much comfort knowing that tomorrow is gonna be even tougher, then. But i am still in the race, and after today on the top half of the results list...

Transport to Stryn

Rolling towards Stryn and the start at noon. From left: Jens, Mark and Espen.

Byrkjelo

The first stage finished in Byrkjelo, 140 kms from the quay at Dragsvik. I finished at 4:58, Espen came in at 4:21, and Jens at 4:21 - a few seconds before Espen. The complete list or results can be downloaded as a PDF from vikingtour.no (see link in the right-hand column).

Tomorrow awaits a total of 170 kilometres, of which 90 kms racing (from Stryn to Dalsnibba).

Eirik the viking

Thanks for the ride!

Introducing the ferry

After one night of sleeping (or at least trying to) side by side in a sports hall in Vik, the ferry takes us across Sognefjorden to Dragsvik and the start of stage 1.

Being my first real bicycle race, I am curious about racing in a field with others (which is not allowed in triathlon where my racing experience comes from).

Today's stage seems quite fair, with one ascend of 700 metres and otherwise rather flat terrain...

Team Rye

Having finished the prologue. From left: me, Jens and Espen.

On the road

One hour left to Vik.

The Viking Map

After I bought into the commercial and got me a Sony Ericsson C702 mobile phone with GPS and built-in blogging (to Blogger), I planned for a map in this blog where pictures from my mobile showed up automatically, revealing my position in the race (as I shot and posted pictures, that is). Unfortunately, automation like that doesn't come straight out of the box, at least not the box of Blogger. Thus, I've settled for a more traditional approach: a predefined map.

Yet, drawing a map is not as easy as one might think. Google Maps provides a good foundation, but Bikemap is the icing that makes it a thrill to draw bibycle routes:

• Bikemap draws a route instead of a series of dots
• Bikemap "snaps" the route to the road (sort of like my bike)
• Bikemap generates height profiles, and they are interactive (move your mouse over one while you keep an eye on the map...)
• Bikemap export complete KMLs to play with in Google Earth
  

I've drawn seven routes in Bikemap, one for each day of the Viking Tour. Below is an overview that you can play with, or just jump straight to the juice and details.

I also used Bikemap to create the thumbnails that you see in the right-hand column. Click on them to jump directly to the map for each stage.