Summary: Norwegian Pumptrack Series, round 3

Hallingdal Rides
Aug 2. 2022
3 min reading

Updated: 3 Aug. 2022

There was both a summer atmosphere and a big turnout this weekend, when some of the country's toughest pumptrack cyclists aged 4-50 years made the trip to Geilo for the third round of the Norwegian Pumptrack Series. In the elite classes, there was great excitement about whether the favorites in the overall standings, Petter Dyrdahl and Annika Pettersen, could decide the series even before the season finale in Hafjell. The competition in Geilo turned out to be just as nerve-wracking and decisive as expected - but the outcome also gave a surprising twist to the overall standings...

Photo: Magnus Grönberg

The men's overall winner has been found!

Petter Dyrdahl was a big favorite at Geilo after two straight victories in this year's season. However, with an international line-up on the starting line, the competition would prove to be fierce. Sweden's Adam Hvit was the fastest man after two qualifying rounds. He was joined in the final by Dyrdahl, the two Australians Sam Morris and Ethan Hamer, and 13-year-old (!) Emil Balsnes Solbakken. One final run would decide the day's competition - and Petter Dyrdahl once again proved to be a man for big occasions. While Hvit missed a pedal in his run-through and ended up just outside the podium, Dyrdahl clocked the fastest time of the day and claimed his third straight win of the season. Behind him it was incredibly close, with only 2/100 separating Morris in 2nd place and Solbakken in 3rd. After his victory in Geilo, none of his competitors can catch up with Dyrdahl, who can travel to Hafjell and be crowned overall winner of NPS 2022!

Photo: Magnus Grönberg

New overall favorite among the ladies!

A perfect streak of 6 straight wins in the Norwegian Pumptrack Series. That was Annika Pettersen's story before this weekend's competition. But for the first time since the start of the NPS, Pettersen was not on the starting line and thus the women's series was wide open again. Elise Roer was not hard to beat, and the runner-up from the first two series rounds eventually became the second winner of an HPS series round on the women's side. But the victory did not come without tough competition. Swedish Susanne Beijer has previously competed with the fastest girls and finished just 2/10 behind Roer. Eira Stavanes was back on the start line and finished a further 1/10 behind in 3rd place. With the victory in Geilo, Roer now has the upper hand in the overall standings. Even if Pettersen were to take the victory in Hafjell, Roer, with an 8th place or better, can call himself the winner of the Norwegian Pumptrack Series 2022!

Results elite

Women's final:

Elise Roer: 20.772
Susanne Beijer: 21.013
Eira Stavanes: 21.116
Vilde Sofie Svendsen 21.536

Men's final:

Petter R. Dyrdahl: 18.673
Sam Morris: 18.931
Emil Balsnes Solbakken: 18.951
Adam White: 19.574
Ethan Hamer: 20.115

Overall standings Norwegian Pumptrack Series 2022

Photo: Magnus Grönberg

Results Junior (9-12 years):

Let it be said right away: The juniors are driving really fast! Mikkel Embrik Svendsen's winning time was good enough for 4th place in the men's final. On the girls' side, there has been a stable group of young cyclists who have only become faster and faster with each round. The best times are now right up there with the elite class. It will be exciting to see what happens next year when several of the girls move up to the "adult class". Once again, the juniors had the most participants of all the classes, and it's great to see a good mix of those who are racing for the best time and those who are there to have fun and show off their pumptrack skills.

Final girls:

Neila D. Stavanes: 21.849
Oline Grøndal: 22.673
Eira Ravnås: 23.120
Ella Grøndal 26.286
Signi D, Stavanes: 28.092

Final guys:

Mikkel Embrik Svendsen: 19.369
Emilian Bunes: 20.435
Matheo Emilian Barm: 22.510
Kim Stian Haver: 22.593
Even Hatteland: 23.527

Photo: Magnus Grönberg

Results Open class:

The Hallingdal Pumptrack Series is open to all cyclists - even those who don't care about lap times. However, that doesn't mean that it will be held back on the asphalt. The two fastest times in the men's final had made it to the final in the elite class, so the question is whether a couple of the participants should consider moving up a class at the next opportunity...

Women's final:

Emily Curtis: 23.470
Amalie Schjøll 24:204
Renate Svendsen: 24.357
Renate Ravnaas: 28:713

Men's final:

Per Wilhelmsson: 19:666
Stone Inge Dahle: 19.995
Frode Roer: 20.148
Ove Roen Grøndal: 20.462
Kai Rune Hjortnæs: 21.375

Photo: Magnus Grönberg

Children's class (0-8)

By far the coolest cyclists of the day were again to be found in the children's class. This is where there were the biggest cheers and almost 20 winners. Raw skills and flashy bikes were served up - and there is little doubt that the future of cycling in the kingdom is very bright. All the winners went home with a diploma and well-deserved prizes from the series sponsors.

See all photos from the series round here . Any use must be tagged with @hallingdalrides and photographer Magnus Grönberg.

Thank you to all the riders, spectators, crew and our phenomenal sponsors, who make the series possible: