Westfjords Way Challenge
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Region | Westfjords, Iceland |
| Nickname(s) | WWC |
| Type | Endurance Cycling Event |
| Organiser | Cycling Westfjords |
| History | |
| First edition | 2022 |
| Editions | 2 (as of 2023) |
| First winner |
|
Westfjords Way Challenge is a five-day ultra-distance cycling stage race around the Westfjords of Iceland.[1][2] It totals 954 km and each stage ranges from 211 to 255 km.[3] The start and finish point are in Ísafjörður.[4] The inaugural race was held in June 2022[5] and was won by Lael Wilcox and Arnþór Gústavsson.[6] In contrary to the usual stage races, it is not all about racing. Every stage includes "cultural" stops and for all participants it is mandatory to stop at at least two of them for a minimum of 20 minutes. The time is neutralized during the visit and therefore does not count for the overall time. This is for connecting the participants with the country and landscape they are racing in. The stops can be a museum, a hot pot or a farm etc.[7]
Stages[edit]
Stage 1[edit]
- Ísafjörður - Drangsnes - 254 km
Stage 2[edit]
- Drangsnes - Fellströnd - 243 km
Stage 3[edit]
- Fellströnd - Patreksfjörður - 246 km
Stage 4[edit]
- Patreksfjörður - Ísafjörður - 211 km
Winners[edit]
| Year | Female winner | Female winner's time | Male winner | Male winner's time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Lael Wilcox | 40 hours 43 mins 42 sec[8] | Arnþór Gústavsson | 35 hours 56 mins 57 sec[9] |
| 2023 | Weronika Szalas | 44 hours 30 mins 47 sec [10] | Arnþór Gústavsson | 36 hours 57 mins 31 sec [11] |
References[edit]
- ^ Þorsteinn Ásgrímsson (11 January 2022). "Skólaverkefnið varð að ofurhjólakeppni". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Bjarki Sigurðsson (4 July 2022). "Myndaveisla: Hjóluðu alla Vestfirði á fimm dögum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Darren Adam (12 June 2023). "the RÚV english podcast: The Arna Westfjords Way Cycling challenge". RÚV. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Þorsteinn Ásgrímsson (3 May 2022). "Tvær spennandi nýjar hjólakeppnir í boði í ár". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Lögðu af stað í 960 km ferð um Vestfirði". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Jóhann Páll Ástvaldsson (4 July 2022). "970 kílómetra hjólreiðaaflraun lokið á Vestfjörðum". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Weinberg, Josh (July 26, 2023). "No Sleep 'Til Ísafjörður: The 2023 Arna Westfjords Way Challenge". The Radavist. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "2022 Arna WFWC Overall Results - Women's Results - Overall" (PDF). Cycling Westfjords. 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "2022 Arna WFWC Overall Results - Men's Results - Overall" (PDF). Cycling Westfjords. 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Arna Westfjords Way Challenge". Tímataka. 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "Arna Westfjords Way Challenge". Tímataka. 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.