COLD SNAPS

Chris Lanaway dons the deepest winter thermals for the Abloc Winter Challenge in southern Sweden

Originally an unlikely adventure thought up among friends who’d just ridden Vätternrunden, the huge summer sportive in Motala in southern Sweden, Abloc’s Winter Challenge has grown into an annual tradition for the hardiest cyclists. The course has evolved and the peloton grown over its seven years, with riders coming from far and wide looking to ride its 300km-ish on frozen roads, deep into Småland’s “Höglandet” (highlands) on a mix of punchy tarmac and gravel roads. And then there’s the darkness to factor in. Winter here is long, dark and cold. The ice and snow mean that studded tyres are the shrewd choice. Their steady hum gives a signal of reassurance as you glide across icy roads glistening under powerful LED lights, all while still managing to keep your bike upright…

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Cycling Plus (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025

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