Climbing with Trolls

Let's shine a light - Bright Midnight. A race through mystical Norway

Sofiane Sehili

Rasmus Bozyk

Clement Mahe

Philippe Bechet

Christophe Dijkmans

Rufus Wenlock

Adam Palin

Fynn Graf

Omar Martinello

Borja Gascon

André Jonsson

Nathalie Schneitter

Glenn Bloemen

Matthew Paez

Thomas Schlatter

Michael Knottek

Aurélio Valentino

Bruno Ferraro

Cees Akkermans

Jan-Philipp Sacher

Neil Henderson

Marcus Nicolson

Erik Arnewing

Mindaugas Urbontaitis

Benedikt Stratmann

Linda Farczadi

Richard Frans

Jan Recker

Allan Shaw

Sveinung Fluge

Lukas Eger

Simone Eder

Clemens Peti Melms

Julia Schopka

Åsa Ehrnholm

Tjerk Bakker

Mathias Mücke

Markus Angerer

Sami Martiskainen

Robert Cartwright

Jonas Fischer

Markus Brigl

Sandra Schuberth

Odd Erik Farstad

Raoul Eyamba-Ajebo

Arve Espeland

Marc Schnitzius

Andreas Wagner

Thomas Rouckhout

Thomas Martinus

Andreas Gögele

Claude Stutz

Steven Hatley

Peter Nedelcev

Adrien Troesch

Michal Fok

Cedric Sion

Ramsey Hanna

Anders Dy Urset

Laurie Charron-Lozeau

Hannah Somhegyi

Kris Willaert

Alexis Ortiz

Michael Rabe

Leen van Hees

Henriette Lauridsen

Markus Löwen

Hristos Fleturis

Robin Scholz

Martin Aylward

Neil Davey

Kazimieras Povilaitis

Robyn Furtado

Tjalling Alkema

Mindaugas Krokas

Matthias Habenstein

Eirik Knutsen

Jose Antonio Siria Aguilera

Paulius Kaminskas

Ray Wood

Amy Clark

Vytis Sestakauskas

Erik Arentz-Hansen

Jackie Baker

Alvin Escajeda

Megan Bagley

Gunnar Dethlefsen

Lars Koch

Richard Pywell

Robert Jan Wyszka

Bjørn Gjevik

Viggo Vea

Phillip Kaspersen

Florian Groß

Juliane Bötel

Ellie Blake

Bettina Bögl

Antoine Breny

Matthew Cline

Virginia Sofia Crivelli

Etienne Hamon

Elie-Naël Laurencery

Max Hilger

Marc Lehmann

Alexia Schmid

Jorge Perez

Peter Batt

Alexander Gass

Cyril Chermin

Joost Klarenbeek

Mathieu Plamondon

Didier Bollaerts

Alex Armstrong

Markus Marquart

Mindaugas Sujeta

Miroslav Miliuškevič

Paulius Budrikis

Matthias Ernst

Michael Storcksdieck genannt Bonsman

Dries Hiroux

Maxime

Max Hauer

Clemens Obergfell

Raimonds Malisevs

Janis Gorskis

David Büttner

Christoph Schaller

Tomas Milišauskas

Niels Kuehnemann

Jesse Lamarre

Brian McAuslan

Dominik Kraus

Svenja Hoelzl

Bastian Cambrésy

John Ola Buøy

Henrik Grytbakk

Jakob Skarveland

Thorsten Kraus

Oskar Jasiczak

Toni Larsson

Amira Halilovic

Clemens Scholzen

Anna Niski

Adrian Niski

Jakob Myking

Vegard Saksesæther

Christian Bel

Daniel Maurer

Ricardo Parreirinha

Leona Kringe

Anne Schulze

Joanna Britton

Jürg Rohr

Charles Christiansen

Julie Harster

Nathalie Hoogeveen

Markus Valentin

Connor Needham

Hans-Martin Schnurr

Max Muller

Robert Krügel

India Landy

Susan Landy

Mathieu Leenaert

Claus Enneper

Eline Van Straalen

Markus Kersten

Laura Gallardo Gracia

Sebastian Petersson

Tautvydas Kalvaitis

Will Vousden

Dorothea Kerst

Dominik Bokstaller

Åke Haraldsson

Peter Tonér

MEDIA 2 - MIGLE

MEDIA 1 - JUSTINAS

MEDIA 3 - BENAS

...or maybe a little nap first. Sofiane has done it again. Proven that ultra cycling is not only about the strongest legs. It is about tactics, smart racing, preserving energy, knowing the route and your demand for resupplies and very much also the ability to maintain power for long durations despite the severe lack of sleep.

Today was a beast. Clement led coming into the morning and eventually started a little forth and back with Sofiane, with Rasmus trailing by about 20km. Eventually Sofiane made his move to the front, never to be seen again and it looked like a sure thing with Sofiane 1, Clement 2 and Rasmus 3 but bit by bit Rasmus started eating out of Clement's lead and in almost nailbiter fashion made his decisive move when Clement stopped for a final resupply. Rasmus went all in and managed to secure 2nd overall with Clement coming in 3.

In the women's race Nathalie is proving that her e-MTB world title had nothing to do with the bikes engine and all with her own human engine. After a game of cat and mouse between her and Linda for the first 2 days, Nathalie has now opened up an impressive 100km lead over Linda with only around 150km to go.

The weather is still all over the place with riders reporting to be frozen to the bone, losing feeling in the fingers and many cases of serious elephant skin. Besides that I am fairly certain by now that in the Bright Midnight parts of Norway, Zinc cream is now sold out for months to come.

As always, happy cycling everyone!


Winner winner, Norwegian Dinner

..or so the saying goes. Day 2 of Bright Midnight has everything ultra cycling has to offer. As a matter of fact, Bright Midnight has ever since before the start.

From lost bikes, missed ferries, upset stomachs, torrential rains and closed restaurants. Ultra & adventure cycling is a non-stop game of changing your game plan.

Even before the race Martin Aylward felt the spirit of the ultra cycling community when the airline lost his luggage and bike and folks came together with equipment to help him tackle Bright Midnight after all. Jonas Fischer who had high hopes for a top finish in the race is currently sheltering in a B&B, refusing a DNF besides insane chaving and pain as a result of an upset stomach. Little ultra cycling hack: If the butt is too raw, apparently menstrual pads can work wonders. Who knew? Jan-Philipp's dreams were railroaded less than 75km in with a torn tire, Sandra is currently sucking on a dry piece of bread as the restaurant she was banking on is closed and the rain is absolutely relentless and in the front everyone came together again after no one caught last nights ferry. Neutralizing the front and opening it up for a second race within the race after 470km this morning.

All this is ultra cycling as well, all this forces everyone to adjust plans and goals any given time throughout the race and all this is part of what makes this sport so special.

Speaking of special, let's get back to the current race. The leaders are about 300km from the finish, slowly looping back north with Sofiane and Clement not taking any prisoners at all. Clement led the race for quite a while after the morning fairy but Sofiane looks like he found his rhythm again and closed the gap during the last hours. They opened a gap of about 20km on Rasmus in 3rd now and it will be incredibly exciting who has the most stamina for the upcoming night when temperatures drop after being soaked for hours now.

Christoph in 4th is struggling a bit and is banking on a 15 minute power nap now.
In the women's race Nathalie has made her move and not only repassed Linda who had a mere 10 minute nap last night. The gap right now has grown to 25km but they still have around 450km to go and I expect them to turn the heat up in the early morning after sorting their positions within the race throughout the night. With a gap of 90km on 3-5th woman I expect those two to fight for the win between them.


It's always sunny in Norway

11 serpents, surrounded by the highest peaks of Norway and if you believe the stories told, always under the watchful eyes of the Trolls. That is Trollstigen in Norway. A mystical and incredibly challenging climb into the mountains, after leaving the beautiful Fjords that Norway is so known for.

24 hours into the race and the front of the race is passing the halfway point and heading straight to checkpoint 3.

Bright Midnight started smooth and promising. I received voice messages about stunning beauty, unparalleled views and most of all 'champagne gravel of its finest'. Those messages quickly changed to 'we have the first rougher gravel roads adding to the fun. We need to pick the best possible line now' and even quicker turned to 'we had the first hike a bike section, man I had to carry my bike so much'

![IMG 9913](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7jB8rYBOdculE9kkWzDWYX/e58f38cc00ef39f353a01dcea80f97ec/IMG_9913.JPG)

The rugged land of Norway is starting to live up to its reputation on day one. At Km75 riders faced the first river crossing with Sofiane Sehili pushing the pace in the front with Clement Mahe, Philippe Bechet, Christophe Dijkmans and Rasmus Bozyk hot on his heels, before eventually leapfrogging each other all day towards the ferry to Eidsdal. 

Jan-Phillip, who was second at Seven Serpents last year suffered an early puncture that cost him a lot of time and Jonas Fischer, 3rd at Seven Serpents last year learned quickly that his stomach doesn't fancy the Norway Fjord water too much. He managed to drag himself to the campsite at KM334 where a lot of the riders found shelter for the night and is trying to get back into riding shape. 

In the women's race, the e-MTB World Champion Nathalie Schneitter opened an early gap on the competition always well within or around the top10 overall in the race but through the night a familiar name in ultra racing, Linda Farczadi has passed her into first and is now about 2km from the peak of Trollstigen, clearly not bother by the Trolls throughout the night. 

Behind her Julie Harster, Sandra Schuberth and Julia Schopka have spent a lot of time together throughout the first 340km and they are now enjoying the lower serpents of Trollstigen. 

In the overall lead it will be an exciting race. Sofiane is known for being able to go for longer stretches than most without sleep and has clearly shown the ability to push through another 500km without sleep. 

From here on out towards Bisno the scenery is going to change drastically again with much more forest and green and surrounded by the mountains rising into the sky next to our riders. 

Stay tuned for more.

If you followed [Justinas Leveika](https://www.instagram.com/justin.and.bikes/?hl=en) closely last year you kept seeing those stories from insanely beautiful fjords, the Norwegian tundra, stunning mountain views and endless, winding gravel roads between forest, mountains and water.

All that was part of mapping the route for the inaugural Bright Midnight that is about to commence.

From Tolga to Forollhogna National Park, the switchbacks of the legendary Trollstigen (the name needs no explanation) to the Geiranger Fjord the route makes its way to Reinheimen National Park and Nkutsho.

Starting tomorrow morning roughly 150 riders from around the world will head out on an adventure that is somewhere between a fairytale and a viking story.

![IMG 9855](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4s91IQKGmjHTbFUxGBADL4/189c716254b3e15cd03d519ed1deb274/IMG_9855.JPG)

The other mastermind behind Bright Midnight is [Bruno](https://www.instagram.com/bruno.gpx/), who invented [Seven Serpents](https://www.seven-serpents.com/) last year and is racing this weekend himself. If you've been to Seven Serpents you have an idea of how beautiful and detailed the route in Norway will be. 

Race favorites are hard to predict for this one but riders to watch out for include [Sofian Sehili](https://www.instagram.com/sofianeshl/), winner of such races as Silk Mountain Race, [Jonas Fischer](https://www.instagram.com/jo_fietser/) who was 3rd at Seven Serpents last year, [Mr. "BallernBallern"](https://www.instagram.com/ballernballern/) (Jan-Philipp) who was second at Seven Serpents 2022, [Omar Martinello](https://www.instagram.com/omarmartinello/), Bruno himself, etc 

More on the women in a separate post later today. 

The legendary [Nils Laengner](https://www.instagram.com/nils_laengner/?hl=en) will be providing photos from the race. 

Till Schenk

The Bright Midnight 2023 Tracking + Commentary: The inaugural Bright Midnight gifts riders a route through the barren tundra of Forollhogna National Park, dramatic fjords and mystical forests, climbing over 16,000m under the bright watch of the midnight sun.

The Bright Midnight 2023 Tracking

The inaugural Bright Midnight gifts riders a route through the barren tundra of Forollhogna National Park, dramatic fjords and mystical forests, climbing over 16,000m under the bright watch of the midnight sun.

The Bright Midnight 2023

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