The final day!

It looks like a party up there, one finisher after another. Matti Jutila arrived just before the end of the seventh day. Mikko Mäkipää and Okko Sirvio followed soon after. And today, Riku Puustinen, Pompo Stenberg and Arto Sundström are there too.

There finishers have gathered in a reataurant now, telling stories and eating like they haven’t eaten for a week, probably. Enjoy!

And Konstantin is our only rider still on the road. Keep on going! The time may be up but the route and the challenge is still there to finish. We’re following the dot.

• Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/
• Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/
• Day three report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-three/
• Day four report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-four/
• Day five report:  https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-five/
• Day six report:https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-six/
• Day seven report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-seven/
• More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/
• Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/
• Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

The end is near

Not much left now, the time limit is after tomorrow at midnight. But fear not, two more riders have finished and all but one of the riders still on road are now in Norway.

Matthias Müller finished after eight yesterday, so he was on the road for just over six days. Mikko Kainu found his way to Hammerfest a few hours later last night.

We will have more finisher today.

Mikko Kainu is heading back already, as you can see on the map, and he managed to spot Pompo Stenberg and Arto Sundström on the road too.

And while on the topic of spotting riders on the road, we also have these pics taken by Sami Välikangas of Mikko Mäkipää and Okko Sirvio!

Keep up the good work! Looks like you’ve found the autumn foliage that has given the event it’s name, ruska.

The north seems to be giving a good taste of how challenging it can be. The weather doesn’t seem to be too rainy, but it really is not summer anymore. Some of the snow stays on the ground through the day. There is a bit of a headwind too.

There’s still about 30 hours to get to the finish before the time limit. Konstantin Zudov still has about 800 kilometers to go. He might not make it in time for the official finish of Ruska, but he’ll have a priceless adventure . Keep on trucking!

Ahead of him is Arto, near Kautokeino, with something like 270 kilometers ahead of him. We can expect him and the others ahead of him to make it within the time limit to the finish, if nothing too surprising happens.

• Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/
• Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/
• Day three report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-three/
• Day four report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-four/
• Day five report:  https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-five/
• Day six report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-six/
• More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/
• Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/
• Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

We have our first finisher!

Janne got to Hammerfest at 04:00 this morning. Chapeau!

MIkko Kainu is heading for the last stretch from Alta now and will likely finish today. Matthias Müller is somewhere there too.

Snow

The route really does go very far up north, to the Arctic Ocean. It’s only September, but being in the north, you’d kind of expect there to be some of that white stuff? Well there you have it, the finish parcours looks amazing:

Here’s the place in streetview.

Scratches

Tuomas and Matti have scratched, both because of some degree of injury in their legs, knees or achilles tendons.

It happens, you know when it is the sensible thing to do and you should also know that you’ve given all you’ve got, which in itself is an achievement. Better luck with your next adventure.

What about the rest of our riders?

All of the remaining riders are now passed the start point of the finish. The beginning of the end, as they say.

It looks like it will drop just below freezing during the next night too, for the ones that are still somewhere inland, but the sky will be clear. At the coast, in Alta, it’ll be a bit warmer, but there will be some rain. Looks like there won’t be more snow now. Or should they get some studded winter tyres from Alta for the last 140 kilometers?

• Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/
• Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/
• Day three report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-three/
• Day four report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-four/
• Day five report:  https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-five/
• More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/
• Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/
• Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

Business as usual.

The remaining riders seem to be progressing well, with their own rhythm. Weather is chilly, they are in an area that has little to no population around them, the miles make the feet heavy and so on, but they have found how to make riding and living on the bike pleasant enough. Even with the challenges.

The temperature will drop below freezing during the night. Forecast says it might be -4 in Muonio in the early hours. And snow further north. Let’s hope it won’t be too slippery or thick. Be careful out there, stay warm and search for the next place for pastries #munkkipäivitys

The head of the group

Tre tracker is still lagging occasionally, Matthias Müllers dot hasn’t moved for days, but mostly the tracking does work accurately enough. And we know Matthias is somewhere up there close to Mikko Kainu and Janne Villikka. Janne seems to be furthest north, in Alta. He might get to the finish in Hammerfest already during the early hours tomorrow if he hurries! With the night being so cold, and as there’s not much for accomodation between his current location and the finish, he has to decide what to do now and then stick to it. It would be cold to sleep outside if you don’t have winter sleeping gear. It could be too cold to ride too. Your body does generate heat when moving but is it enough if you’re exhausted? Well, they probably know themselves.

Keep on moving and enjoy the simple life on the road!

Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/

Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/

Day three report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-three/

Day four report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-four/

More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/

Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/

Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

The first riders are in Lapland. Our eyes on the road have found Mikko, Matthias and Janne.

It isn’t easy. We have three new scratches, due to getting sick. Pedro and the pair Kimmo & Jyrki are heading home.

A tough decision to make but sometimes you just need to do it. Wether you finish or not, you’ve had an adventure. Chapeau for getting out there.

It’s not easy for the ones still continuing too, but there’s always something to enjoy too and better to focus on that, if nothing is actually wrong. You get good exercise:

You get to ride your bike and eat pastries.

Ride your bike in the middle of the road with no-one to bother you.

And the views.

Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/

Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/

Day three report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-three/

More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/

Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/

Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

The winter is coming.

I just got a new winter cycling cap. Woollen earflaps and all. Also, the wind has turned. Gone are the days of warm(ish) southwesterly breeze. The gusts from the north are here.

While there might have been one or two negative tweets about the weather from our riders on the road, the wind has been favourable. Until now. It is blowing from the north from now on. Usually, especially during the warm months, in the southern Finland, the wind blows from the south west. In the fall, the warmth often ends with a weather front that brings a northern wind. That seems to be happening right now again, the summer is gone. And the further north you get, the more likely it is to have a wind from the Arctic Ocean and the colder it gets.

The weather has led another to find his achilles heel. Eemeli Huhta will be heading home.

Finding shelter

After a couple of rainy days, even the ones usually prefering to stay outdoors, seek shelter. The towns offering accomodation are sparse, so many are going to end up in the same places for the night, like Janne Villikka and Mikko Kainu. Some get there earlier, others arrive later. Sleeping only a few hours would be enough, but staying a bit longer is attractive, to dry your gear and wait for the sun to come up. Maybe eat a good hotel breakfast.

Control 2

There is no mandatory or otherwise obvious route between the start and finish of the control 2. The first point is on the top of Kivesvaara (sounds bad, I hope you’re all safe out there) and the second point is in Poukio. You can either take a short detour on paved roads, east or west, or head straight on the shorter unpredictable gravel road. Janne Villikka chose the asphalt while Mikko Kainu was adventurous enough for the gravel.

Tracker issues

The tracker isn’t updating everyones location too often. Mathias Müller is somewhere up there close to the riders furthest up north, though his dot hasn’t been updated for almost two days. There has been some other gaps with data too, so be patient.

Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/

Day two report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-two/

More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/

Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/

Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/

The second day of Ruska has passed. The challenges start to ad up and riders get in to their rhythm. During the first night, most stayed on their bikes, except for the ferry ride, and last night was the first to actually find a place to sleep. Some found better spots than others, but anything goes when you’re tired enough.

Weather has been wet, even though the sun has been peeking behind the clouds.

The harsh conditions together with the terrain at the end of the route of the first control finishing to Oravivuori, has taken it’s toll on the equipment, eating the brake pads of at least two riders, Matti Jutila and Pompo Stenberg, and a gear cable of the latter.

Route choices

Most seem to favor the western option passing the lake Päijänne, gaining a flatter route. A few have taken the road on the east coast too, enjoying a nice small country road with lots of small hills and the slightly bigger and to some extent famous Vaarunvuori.

Matti Ainasoja is now the lanterne rouge, after going around the Gulf of Finland via Russia, and has just passed the first point of the control 1.

Scratches

Ruska isn’t an easy task, and we already have the first two who have had to throw in the towel. Antti Ahde was battling with knee pain and Esa Salonen had missed the part of the first control and was too far to turn back.

Next up

The fastest riders are on their way up north along the rather big road number four, Janne Villikkaand Mikko Kainu being the two furthest up. The next ones, led by Mikko Mäkipää, have chosen to take smaller roads and might find a slightly shorter route to the control 2. Right now the views are mostly wet darkness for both options, but we’ll see what tomorrow brings. For the next day the temperature is expected to be between 6-10 °C with a bit of headwind. The rain should stop at noon, which would provide nice views from the control 2 on the top of Kivesvaara.

Day one report: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-day-one/

More information about the event and route: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-ride-across-finland-2019/

Link to list of participants and their twitter/instagram: https://www.randonneurs.fi/ruska-2019/

Tracking: https://www.randonneurs.fi/live/ruska2019/