Vasaloppet
2025-06-17 09:44

Gravel cyclists get their own start group in Cykelvasan Öppet Spår 2025

When Cykelvasan Öppet Spår takes place on Friday, August 8, those riding gravel bikes can start in a group exclusively for gravel cyclists. The start group sets off at 10:55 am – five minutes before the first regular start group in Cykelvasan Öppet Spår. 300 spots are reserved, and registration is open.

A gravel bike can best be described as a mix between a road bike and a mountain bike – as fast as a racer, but durable enough to handle gravel roads and light terrain.

“We’re seeing a strong gravel trend right now, and gravel cyclists have a large community, so it feels great to now welcome them to their own start group,” says Daniel Mäkinen, Vasaloppet’s Event Lead.

For the Vasaloppet organization, the new start group also offers a chance to see how gravel bikes compare to mountain bikes.

“Thanks to this new start group, we’ll be able to observe how it affects speed and flow during the race, so it will serve as an official test for us. We also want to learn more about how gravel cyclists experience the Vasaloppet terrain and our course,” says Daniel, noting that the gravel start group is an option, not a requirement.

“As before, gravel cyclists are welcome in all start groups in Cykelvasan Öppet Spår.”

FACTS/ Cykelvasan Öppet Spår, 95 km, Gravel start group
Date: Friday, August 8, 2025 at 10.55
Recreational race: No winner is declared.
Want to take part? Sign up at vasaloppet.se and select the Gravel start group. Registration fee: Same as for the regular Cykelvasan Öppet Spår. Already registered for Cykelvasan Öppet Spår and want to switch to the Gravel start group? Go to My pages and change your start group.

Did you know…
… the most common type of bike used in Cykelvasan is a front-suspension MTB, hardtail, followed by full-suspension MTBs; these two dominate overall. But around four percent use other types of MTBs, gravel bikes, or other bike types. The choice of bike varies slightly depending on the race: for example, other types of MTBs are a bit more common among participants in Cykelvasan 45 and Cykelvasan 30.

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