Emil Lindgren and Sandra Salinger won Cykelvasan 90 2022

Women elite

It was 14 degrees Celsius and beautiful weather when the women’s class started in Sälen at 07:30 this Saturday morning. A fine day in the Vasaloppet Arena awaited. 55 elite ladies set off on the 94 kilometres towards Mora.

A group of eleven cyclists reached the first checkpoint in Smågan with Petra Kjellberg taking the sprint prize. The next sprint prize in Mångsbodarna was won by newly crowned Swedish champion Nellie Larsson.

47-year-old Jennie Stenerhag started in Cykelvasan for the tenth and last time. She was first to the checkpoint in Risberg. The leading group of only seven cyclists shot at full speed towards Evertsberg, swirling up road dust from the nice, dry course.

The seven ladies stayed together and, halfway through the race, Terese Andersson took the hill prize. The others in the group were Nellie Larsson, Hildegunn Hovdenak, Sandra Salinger, Ebba Granqvist, Clara Lundmark and finally Jennie Stenerhag. Several times it looked like Jennie would drop behind, but she kept catching up.

Hildegunn Hovdenak was first up the Lundbäcksbackarna slopes. Ebba Granqvist took a fall and the leading group broke up when Terese Andersson pushed hard. At the Oxberg checkpoint there were only four in the lead: Hildegunn Hovdenak ahead of Nellie Larsson, Terese Andersson and Sandra Salinger.

It was also Nellie Larsson’s tenth start in Cykelvasan; she was first to pass Hökberg and she got the last sprint prize in Eldris.

But who would win the sprint on the 340 metre finishing stretch? When they made the turn around the Zorn museum, Terese Andersson was first, just ahead of Nellie Larsson, two-time winner Hildegunn Hovdenak and lastly Sandra Salinger. But in the end, that order was reversed. Sandra Salinger sprinted down Hildegunn Hovdenak, who got her fourth second place in Cykelvasan.

In recent years, Sandra Salinger has come seventh, fifth, sixth and fifth in Cykelvasan. She was moved after finishing.
”I have dreamed about this, and for a few years I’ve felt that I had the capacity, and winning today was my goal. The race has been tough and I had to dig deep from the start. I was tactical at the end, staying on Hovdenak’s wheel when she started the sprint, and on the straight I felt that I’ve got this today, my legs have what it takes and I’ll get past her in the sprint, and then it happened.”

”I dug very deep and I was a bit foggy the last ten kilometres; I got some gel in me, hoping that would perk me up, I drank and did everything. And tactically, I thought it would be best if I could stay at the back.”

Men elite

The 426 elite men started 45 minutes after the elite ladies. It was full on with high speeds right off the bat. Fastest was ”Mr. Cykelvasan” himself Emil Lindgren, who arrived alone to the first checkpoint in Smågan, 16 seconds ahead of the group behind him. Emil cycled on a rigid mountain bike, using a bike fork without suspension.

In Mångsbodarna, Emil had extended his lead to a full 47 seconds before everyone else cycled past the checkpoint and continued on in forefather’s tracks. In Risberg, Emil’s lead was 57 seconds and among those following were many of Emil’s teammates in Serneke Allebike.

Emil also received the hill prize in Evertsberg and once again he had extended his lead, now 1:08 ahead of the group. Would one cyclist take home all the sprint prizes for the first time ever? The answer was no. Lindgren took the sprint prize in Oxberg but his lead there was only 11 seconds, and there were 19 cyclists who soon caught up with him.

Viktor Lindqvist led the group through the Hökberg checkpoint with Emil Lindgren in 20th place. But the group soon broke up again when Viktor Henrysson and Emil Lindgren (!) pushed ahead.

Then suddenly in Eldris, these two had a clear lead of one minute and 13 seconds, with Viktor Henrysson leading the duo. With six kilometres to go, news broke on the SVT broadcast that Emil Lindgren would be disqualified because he had taken a time trial position. The judges did, however, reverse this decision as it was due to misinterpreted rules.

Viktor Henrysson led the rest of the way but Emil Lindgren was superior on the final stretch and he won Cykelvasan 2022. It was actually the seventh time he got onto Cykelvasan’s podium and, just like Jesper Dahlström, he now has two victories under his belt.

Emil Lindgren was tired and emotional right after the finish line:
”I did the absolute worst thing you can do in this race (pushing ahead early). It should not be possible to do this. You drive with something else, you dig deep. Winning is one thing, but doing it like this…  It’s almost impossible to do it like this. I said when the other guys caught up that ‘I have a little bit left maybe’. Then I ended up with Viktor and really had nothing to give for twelve kilometres. I fell behind two or three times towards the end but caught up again. I have to thank the guys on the team so much for doing a great job here today.”

Emil said that things went ”blurry” for him from Oxberg and on:
”After Hökberg, it was Erik Mattelin and Viktor Henrysson who pushed on and I thought I’d run out of every last bit. It was pretty much my last and there were about 12–14 kilometres to go. A fantastic day… You dig so deep, you can’t dig deeper and when you’re down in the abyss, things turn around.”

RESULTS
Cykelvasan 90 Elite, 94 km Sälen-Mora, women, 2022-08-13
1 Sandra Salinger, (SWE) Mix Sports Club, 3.04.00
2 Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak, (NOR) Splint IL, 3.04.00
3 Nellie Larsson, (SWE) Bukten MTB, 3.04.01
4 Terese Andersson, (SWE) Serneke Allebike CK, 3.04.01
5 Clara Lundmark, (SWE) Norbergs CK, 3.07.49
6 Jennie Stenerhag, (SWE) Falu CK/Åbro, 3.12.39
7 Ebba Granqvist, (SWE) ML Sports Club, 3.12.41
8 Petra Kjellberg, (SWE) Falkenbergs CK, 3.16.04
9 Anne Helene Reiten, (NOR) Trollheimen SK, 3.16.06
10 Erica Zetterlund, (SWE) Hjo Velocipedklubb, 3.16.09

Cykelvasan 90 Elite, 94 km Sälen-Mora, men, 2022-08-13
1 Emil Lindgren, (SWE) Serneke Allebike CK, 2.43.00
2 Viktor Henrysson, (SWE) Träningskonsulten SC, 2.43.04
3 Martin Røste Omdahl, (NOR) Team Hunton Hard Rocx, 2.44.57
4 Viktor Lindqvist, (SWE) Kolmården Mtb, 2.44.57
5 Jesper Dahlström, (SWE) Bauhaus Sportklubb, 2.44.58
6 Eric Pedersen, (SWE) UC Monaco, 2.44.58
7 David Risberg, (SWE) ML Sports Club, 2.44.58
8 Axel Lindh, (SWE) Team Ormsalva AC, 2.44.58
9 Richard Larsén, (SWE) Serneke Allebike CK, 2.44.58
10 André Eriksson, (SWE) Varberg Mountainbike Team, 2.44.58

Footnote: The hill prizes in Evertsberg were won by Terese Andersson with a time of 1.41.09 and Emil Lindgren 1.29.21.

Results are available here >

Sprint prizes
Sprint prizes (3,000 SEK) are awarded to the first cyclists in the women’s and men’s classes to pass the checkpoints in Smågan, Mångsbodarna, Risberg, Oxberg, Hökberg and Eldris. A hill prize (5,000 SEK) is awarded to the first man and woman to reach Evertsberg. To receive the sprint prize and hill prize, the participant must complete the race.

Kranskulla and Kransmas in Cykelvasan 2022
This year’s Kranskulla and Kransmas are Wilma Björkman (IFK Mora) and Edvin Nilsson (Sälens IF).

Watch the TV broadcasts from Cykelvasan 90 2022 after the fact
SVT Play >
Vasaloppet.TV (including all finishes) >
Interviews SVT >

HISTORIC FACTS
Cykelvasan winners 2009–2022, women
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
2014 Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak, Norway, 2.53.44 (Record time!)
2015 Jennie Stenerhag, Falu CK, 2.57.22
2016 Jennie Stenerhag, Falu CK, 3.07.49
2017 Jennie Stenerhag, Falu CK, 3.05.26
2018 Hildegunn Gjertrud Hovdenak, Norway, 3.04.39
2019 Elisabeth Sveum, Norway, 3.08.41
2020 Cykelvasan was part of Hemmavasan. No winner was crowned.
2021 Jennie Stenerhag, Falu CK/Åbro, 3.11.23
2022 Sandra Salinger, Mix Sports Club, 3.04.00

Cykelvasan winners 2009–2022, men
2009 Matthias Wengelin, Cykloteket RT, 2.43.27
2010 Magnus Darvell, Team Kalas/Pedalogerna, 2.39.00 (Record time!)
2011 Jesper Dahlström, Motala AIF Cykelklubb, 2.47.32
2012 Jesper Dahlström, Team Cykelcity, 2.47.20
2013 Fredrik Ericsson, CK Cykelcity.se, 2.43.01
2014 Johan Landström, Motala AIF/SCOTT 2.45.59
2015 Alexander Wetterhall, Team Tre Berg – BIANCHI, 2.44.35
2016 Lucas Eriksson, Serneke Allebike CK, 2.40.04
2017 Jonas Ahlstrand, Team ORMSALVA, 2.41.26
2018 Michael Olsson, Team Serneke Allebike, 2.40.16
2019 Emil Lindgren, Serneke Allebike MTB TEAM, 2.48.41
2020 Cykelvasan was part of Hemmavasan. No winner was crowned.
2021 Kristian Klevgård, IK Hero, Norway, 2.45.29
2022 Emil Lindgren, Serneke Allebike CK, 2.43.00

Statistics: All top ten placements in Cykelvasan 90 2009–2021 (PDF) >

What’s happening in Sälen and Mora around Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2022?
View our full Vasaloppet calendar >

2023
Registration for Cykelvasan 2022 and Vasaloppet’s Summer Week 2023 opens on September 24, 2022, at 09:00 CET at Vasaloppet’s website vasaloppet.se