Again no Vdraget 11:32am CET, 11 Mar 2008 Due to mushers being unable to make any sort of commitment on which a planning can be made, no Vindelälvsdraget for Team-Gafsele in 2008. Hopefully next year, who knows.

Vindelälvsdraget 2008 05:59pm CEST, 5 Apr 2007 Vindelälvsdraget 2007 hardly ended, and the signup for the 2008 edition already started. Team Gafsele already signed up! All we need now is mushers, handlers and sponsors...so, what are you doing in week 11, 2008?!?

Vindelälvsdraget 2007 ended, one day short 01:14pm CET, 18 Mar 2007 Vindelälvsdraget ended already, one day early. Unfortunately, the snow and ice conditions on the last part of the trail weren't safe enought to allow the teams to cross. So the end result of the third day is also the end result of the race: Alpentrail has won for the second time in a row with quite a gap to the second place, Hotdogs. Congratulations are in order to ALpentrail, but next year...just you wait!

No Vindelälvsdraget afterall 10:16am CET, 15 Mar 2007 Unfortunately, Team Gafsele won't be competing in Vindelälvsdraget 2007 afterall. A lot of the mushers who were supposed to go, went to the ESDRA EC in Hamar instead. Vindelälvsdraget just started today, you can follow the action here.

Vindelälvsdraget 2007: Entry, mushers and sponsors 02:06pm CET, 17 Feb 2007 Team Gafsele will have a team in Vindelälvsdraget 2007. Mushers: Reinhard Monschein (A) Tom Bungic (D) Gregor von Gumpenberg (D) Juha Kanerva (S) B.Neuman (D) Anita (CH) This year's sponsors are: Klass, main sponsor Inlandsfrakt, Åsele Statoil, Åsele Axberg, Åsele Emma's Kök, Åsele Magic Lappland The list of sponsors on the right is updated accordingly. Many thanks to both mushers and sponsors alike for making this possible again!

Vindelälvsdraget 2007 - Sponsors, mushers and handlers! 06:31pm CEST, 23 Jun 2006 No, the new edition of Vindelälvsdraget hasn't begun yet. What has begun is the search for sponsors, mushers and handlers to ride with and support Team Gafsele in the 20th installment of Vindelälvsdraget. If you're a musher or a willing handler, and are in the Gafsele at or around week 11 of 2007 (and who isn't, it's the week after the IFSS World Championship 2007!), please consider joining Team Gafsele for this amazing race. Similarly, if you're a business and would like to sponsor our endeavour, please step up. Send us an email if you're interested!

Aftermath 03:37pm CET, 21 Mar 2006 Team Gafsele has finished Vindelälvsdraget 2006 in the 8th place overall. The final results can be found on Vindelälvsdraget's website, with the seperate track results also available. Photos Team Gafsele "Day 0", the road to Vindelälvsdraget Results Day 1 Team Gafsele Photos Day 1 Vindelälvsdraget Photos Day 1 Results Day 2 Team Gafsele Photos Day 2 Vindelälvsdraget Photos Day 2 Results Day 3 Team Gafsele Photos Day 3 Vindelälvsdraget Photos Day 3 Results Day 4 Team Gafsele Photos Day 4 Vindelälvsdraget Photos Day 4 Photos Team Gafsele Afterparty! Other coverage: Helmut Dietz's "lappland" blog sleddogrevue.de photo gallery

Day 4 02:50pm CET, 21 Mar 2006 Mass start in Hällnäs, Pasi Kanerva on his way to Vindeln Five stages and 70 odd kilometres seperate Vindelälvsdraget from start to finish today. Every musher in Team Gafsele is assigned a stage, and it looks to become an exciting day. Will the Kanerva's make it to the last relay in time for the home stretch? Will we be able to maintain our 8th position in the overall standings? In a few hours time we will know. It's cold, a northwestern wind sweeps across the river, and yesterday's watery snow slush has been frozen again. Hällnäs Vindeln 15 km Pasi Kanerva Vindeln Vindelheden 17.5 km Reinhard Monschein Vindelheden Rödåsel 11 km Bert Cools Rödåsel Vännfors 17 km Gregor Gumppenberg Vännfors Vännäsby 10 km Juha Kanerva Today's musher lineup A hard trail with wind from the back, it'll be a fast run today. Because the Kanerva's share a car, they get the first and last stage of today's race. They need the time between stages to move their car from the first finish to the last start. It'll be a race against the clock, but we estimate it should be doable. The second stage, which is the hardest and most dangerous of the entire Vindelälvsdraget goes to the cool and relaxed musher from Austria, Reinhard Monschein. He will drive six dogs through sharp bends, and past open, freezingly cold and fast flowing water. First comes the team and the sled... The mass start at 9am goes as smooth as ever. With a strong backwind, Pasi Kanerva takes off for the 15km to Vindeln where the first relay of the day takes place. Reinhard will be taking six dogs down the dangerous trail between Vindeln and Vindelheden. Almost 16km of sharp twists and turns, open water, rocks and road crossings. Reinhard, who has never been on this trail, plays it smart and lets Samelandresor pass so he can watch where he needs to go. This strategy rescues him and his dogs from a cold bath at a point where open water meets the trail unexpectedly. Reinhard, with only six dogs, clocks in the fourth best time on this leg. Very good, but not today's best achievement. ...then the dog (far left), and then Bert (far right). Bert was tired. This "award" goes to Bert Cools, who takes over from Reinhard in the woods of Vindelheden. With his eight dogs, Bert makes a smooth run until about 2km before his finish in Rödåsel. A dog refuses to go on any further, and Bert has to hook down the team to load the dog into the sled. Except when he reaches his sled again, with the dog in his arms, his team decides it has taken long enough and takes off...without Bert and his dog! While his loose team gets caught at the relay in Rödåsel, Bert has to run the same distance too. The unwilling dogs likes this game too, and runs along to catch up with his teammates. Still, Bert manages to clock in with the 18th best time for that leg, which is quite respectable for someone who is used to be pulled around by his dogs. Snowy roads on the way from Rödåsel to Vännfors Meanwhile, the extra time Bert has taken to get into Rödåsel is taken full advantage of. The Kanerva's, on their way to the very last relay point, have taken a wrong turn. Thanks to Bert, they're now able to make it to Vännfors in time so Juha Kanerva can take over from Gregor Gumppenberg who is now on his way from Rödåsel to Vännfors while Bert catches his breath. Also the support vehicles have it hard because of the weather conditions. THe hard wind covers the roads with snowdrift, and it's questionable whether Helmut Dietz, the photographer made handler who drives Gregor's car from start to finish, will make it in time to catch Gregor. Luckily Marc and Reinhard have also driven to Vännfors and were able to catch Gergor's team while Helmut turned into the parking lot. Bert's mishap also bought the Kanerva's enough time to reach the same point and be ready in time to take over from Gregor. Juha is now on his way to cover the last 10km of Vindelälvsdraget 2006 to the finish line in Vännäsby. Team Gafsele gathers in Vännäsby to greet Juha as he comes riding into the finish with the team flag. This is the ending of four days of racing and months of preparation. Though Team Gafsele did not start out in Ammarnäs with the musher lineup as it was intended, the current team has shown once again that this race can be run, and run well, with a relatively small team. We were outnumbered in dogs, cars, mushers and handlers. Three out of five mushers have never been to Vindelalvsdraget before, and two "handlers" have never even handled for a racing team before. Yet, Team Gafsele is eighth in the overall ranking list of 35 competing teams. Sure, Team Alpentrail and Team Optimisterna have dominated this race from day one, and Alpentrail is a deserving winner. But if there was an award for resiliency, flexibility, team spirit and sportmanship, Team Gafsele would be #1. Oh yeah, and Juha finished the race for Team Gafsele in Kanerva style. Smiling and waving at the girls. Juha Kanerva driving his team to the finish line in Vännäsby This is it. Why do we do it? Let the photos speak for themselves. They're straight off the camera. Uncensored, unedited. This is Vindelälvsdraget. Until next year, for Vindelälvsdraget 2007, its twentieth anniversary! Esko Kanerva: Vi ses nästa år!

Day 3 10:46am CET, 21 Mar 2006 We're not in the movie, but "The Longest Day" describes day three of Vindelälvsdraget very well. And looking at the weather; this might indeed be a very long day for all involved. It's warm, about two to five degrees above freezing, with some light rain or snow showers. The hard packed, almost icy trail Vindelälvsdraget started out with up in the mountains rapidly turns into a slush of water and snow. It'll be hard on the dogs, the mushers and the handlers too, as the roads aren't much better to drive on either. Björksele Vormsele 15.5 km Reinhard Monschein Vormsele Rusksele 18 km Juha Kanerva Rusksele Forsholm 10 km Gregor Gumppenberg Forsholm Siksele 9.5 km Gregor Gumppenberg Siksele Föjsviken 15 km Bert Cools Föjsviken Åmsele 7.5 km Reinhard Monschein Åmsele Ekorrsele 18 km Pasi Kanerva Ekorrsele Strycksele 12.5 km Pasi Kanerva Strycksele Hällnäs 13.5 km Gregor Gumppenberg Today's musher lineup Juha Kanerva putting on his special, secret blend of wax This day is also the day with the most stages, nine in total. Double passes and even a team which has to run twice are needed to get through it. Reinhard Monschein is chosen to do the mass start in Bjorksele, the first in his mushing career. The day will finish off for Team Gafsele at the finish line in Hallnas, with Gregor Gumppenberg driving his second team for the last 13.5km. But that is still hours away, in Bjorksele the race hasn't even started yet. Today's start is at 10am, and that is because the mushers need to catch up on some extra sleep after the party yesterday evening. Every year in Bjorksele, it's party time for anyone involved in Vindelälvsdraget. Some alcohol mixed with a day of hard work has the predictable effect of everyone not being too much of an early bird the next day. Still, the Vindelälvsdraget train moves on, and this means that early in the morning the woodwork factory where Team Gafsele has spent the might is buzzing with activity. Cars are packed, dogs are being given water and sleds are waxed in preparation for today. Getting ready for start The mass start in Bjorksele is downhill. The starting position has to be carefully chosen, to not end up in deep snow just after the start. Luckily, Marc Permentier is there for advise on how best to get out of the starting area and onto the trail, and because Team Gafsele has being doing as well as it has, we can choose a position on the first start line where it's not as steep. Marc Permentier, holding the dogs of Reinhard and the competition. Lag 6, Samelandresor and Team Gafsele have been seeing a lot of eachother in the past 4 days, as they've been close together a lot. At 10am sharp Olle Rosen, the race marshall, throws the flag and the race is on its way. The mass start is chaotic as ever, and in the chaos one of Reinhards dogs tackles Team Alpentrails handler, putting him a bit behind of the pack. But Reinhard doesn't brake, and his team makes it out of the starting chute without further problems. Vormsele is waiting, 16km down the trail. Juha will take over to bring the relay pin to Gregor Gumppenberg in Rusksele. Gregor is doing a double stretch today with his first team, after which he has to drive to Strycksele for the last leg of today to Hallnas. Gregor's first team clocks the second best time on both stretches, which is very impressive considering that sofar every team which had to skip over a relay point didn't run as fast in the second leg as in the first. Gregor arrives in Siksele to pass over to Bert Cools who has been waiting around there for a while already. Bert dashes out of Siksele to clock the 5th best time for the 15km to Föjsviken. It's heavy. Very heavy as the temperature rises and the snow melts on the trail. And it will get even heavier. Pasi's 32km long double leg is being run at the warmest part of the day. But that's only after Reinhard Monschein has asked his dogs to run a second stage, the 7.5km from Föjsviken to Åmsele. Pasi Kanerva arriving in Strycksele after his 32km double leg started in Åmsele. Gregor Gumppenberg arriving at the finish line in Hällnäs Most of the dogs in Reinhard's team have been running the opening stage today, but still they're capable of doing another few kilometres. The seventh best time is clocked by Reinhard when he passes on the relay pin to Pasi. Pasi has the toughest job today; 32km through melting snow and sunshine. Luckily his dogs are trained for long distances. They're not the fastest, but they get to the finish in about the same pace they start at whether it's 10km, 20 or 30km away. The only problem for Pasi's dog on the trail seems to be the road crossing at Ekkorsele, and while waiting for him in Strycksele Team Gafsele gets a phonecall from the trail: "I'm on my way!" We tell Pasi to kick the sled hard to make a good time, so Gregor Gumppenberg can start on the finishing leg of today's race. Strycksele to Hällnäs is 13km, and it takes Gregor about 36 minutes to run it. This is including a small detour because of a lost trail. In Vindelälvsdraget it can happen to anyone! As Gregor passes the finish line at about 3pm, five hours after the start, the racing day ends for Team Gafsele. Team Gafsele has planned and raced the longest day of Vindelavsdraget with only 5 mushers and 6 dog teams. The result: 5th place for the day. The team can now relax in the cabins above the start/finish area, and start to plan out the last day of Vindelälvsdraget 2006. Only 70.5km over five stages from Hällnäs to the finish line in Vannasby. Every musher of Team Gafsele can take a leg, and take his best dogs. A new adventure tomorrow. Inofficial team meeting in the sauna to plan out tomorrow's race

Day 2 12:22am CET, 18 Mar 2006 The second day of Vindelalvraget starts when the alarm goes off at 6am. At 9am it's Juha's time to start in Sorsele. The whole team needs to pull together to clean up the stuga's we've used to spend two nights, take care of the dogs, and get everyone in the right place at the right time. Bert Reinhard While the deperate housewives finish up cleaning the stuga's at the skiresort Nalovardo, the Kanerva's drive over to Sorsele to claim their place on the starting line. Teamleader Pasi Kanerva decides to start on the first starting line where all the front runners are allowed to start, in expectation that jury's judgement of the events yesterday will be favourable to the teams involved (Team Gafsele and Team Optimisterna). Juha Kanerva helping his dogs into their working outfit. While Juha Kanerva dresses his dogs for the race, the word comes in that indeed, the Vindelälvsdraget race judges have ruled in favour. Both Team Gafsele and Optimisterna are granted yesterday's slowest arrival time (35 minutes and some change) because of wrong directions on the trail. This puts Team Gafsele back at position 12, which is always better than 16. It's not the placing which matters though, it's that this decision will shave off over 20 minutes of our total track time on day one, making it possible to at least get back into the top ten, where we belong. But the race is still young. The second day of four is yet to start, and as the saying goes: "Anything can happen in Vindelälvsdraget." At about nine, the starting line fills up. Everyone is nervous. The dogs are eager to go, the mushers concentrated on the task before them: Get out of the starting chute in one piece, and preferably in the lead! The team to beat today is Team Alpentrail, and Rudi Ropertz is standing right next to Juha. Nervous, like everyone else is, but ready to show Sweden why he's ranked among the top mushers in Europe, if not the world. Team Gafsele and Team Alpentrail, ready for action The flag goes down, day two of Vindelälvsdraget 2006 is underway. Juha makes it out okay, though he seems to be boxed in by the teams besides him. Nevermind, this is a mass start in Vindelälvsdraget. Every teams needs to fight for his place on the trail, and the fight continues on the 18km to Nedre Saxäs where Gregor Gumppenberg is waiting to take over for Team Gafsele. Gregor will take the relay pin for 13.5km to Blattnicksele where our surprise musher Reinhard Monschein will start on a double leg. Sofar, everything there is quiet. Marc is trying to get information about the progress through overstressed mobile phone connections while Reinhard makes his final preparations. Marc Permentier and Reinhard Monschein, waiting Team Gafsele's Bert Cools and Team Alpentrail's Hannes Kronbach setting up for their race. It's clouded, cold though at the same time it feels warm. Still, good weather to run, Pasi Heinonen from Finland clocks in a track record for Team Alpentrail, with Gregor with the second best time. Yes, Team Alpentrail is again the team to beat today, but Team Gafsele is not going to give up. Strategy, planning, team spirit and creativity should account for something! We're so optimistic about the result today that Bert Cools, who will be taking over from Reinhard puts his dogs in the team at the same time as the competitors. Except Reinhard doesn't have that well of a run. A wrong choice in leaders catches up on the experienced musher from Austria. A quick change of leaders just before has passthrough in Sandsele helps though, and some of the lost time is made up in the 13km from Sandsele to Torviksele. Reinhard Monschein, moving out of Sandsele Bert's dogs are eager to go. Little do they know that they too will have to do a double leg to fill in for the gaps in Team Gafsele's lineup. There's young dogs in the team, who will think the finish they see in Gargnäs will be the finish they can stop running at. Vindelälvsdraget is a perfect training ground for the kind of conditioning needed to teach these dogs they have to go on, even when they think they've already arrived. That doesn't negate the fact that it's still a race, and Bert hasn't forgotten. After Reinhards arrival in Torviksele, the relay pin changes hands, and Bert's off. His first leg of 9.5km to Gargnäs is covered in a very nice third fastest time, and Råstrand is looming. The dogs are ok with passing up on Gargnäs, except the race officials at the exchange point there are not. It appears a last minute change in strategy (Pasi Kanerva was slated to start here in Gargnäs before the team strategists decided otherwise) hasn't been communicated through, and Bert loses some time by getting through the change point. Pasi Kanerva will have to wait just a little longer before he can start in Råstrand for his contribution to today's result. The longest leg of today, 25km from Råstrand to Vindelgrandsele is assigned to Pasi, the long distance specialist of Team Gafsele. It's a warming up to the 32.5km he'll have to cover on day three of the race. But that's tomorrow, and today still isn't over yet. Gregor's dog and pony show before the veterinarian Bert arrives in Råstrand only to find his support car missing. Jeanet is lost somewhere on the backroads and is only an hour later as planned able to meet up with Bert. Of course Pasi is long gone by then, carrying the relay pin to Vindelgrandsele so Gregor can drive his second team to the finish line in Bjorksele. About the same time Bert is finally able to put his dogs in the car, Gregor takes off for the final stage of 18km to Bjorksele. And after the uphill finish Gregor clocks the second fastest time in Bjorksele and is just in time for the veterinary check and a hamburger. Today's result: In the overall results, Team Gafsele is now at the eigth position. The track results are here. Plenty of photos available, but they're too large to be put in the gallery using only a mobile phone as internet connection. Vindelälvsdraget's photos are available though. I'm sure the loyal reader has noticed the lack of detail and photos on the last half of today's race. The reason: Towing Team Gafsele Taxi and Rescue Vehicle Yes, last year's rescue vehicle needs some rescuing of its own. Both car and driver are recovered safely though, without mentionable damage. Thanks goes out to Team Gafsele for the help and moral support, both in person and on the phone while waiting for the tow truck to arrive. To the friendly man from Vindelälvsdraget who called in the rescue service: Tackse Mycket! Anything can happen in Vindelälvsdraget.

Vindelälvsdraget Day 2 - Results and Strategy 07:32am CET, 17 Mar 2006 Yesterday Team Gafsele did a very good race. Today, we hope to repeat this, and make up some of the time we lost yesterday due to an honest mistake in the last leg. The advantage is that Juha now knows where to go. Today's strategy: From To Distance Team Day 2 9 Sorsele Nedre Saxäs 18.5 km Juha Kanerva 10 Nedre Saxäs Blattnicksele 13.5 km Gregor Gumppenberg 11 Blattnicksele Sandsele 6.5 km Reinhard Monschein 12 Sandsele Torviksele 13 km Reinhard Monschein 13 Torviksele Gargnäs 9.5 km Bert Cools 14 Gargnäs Råstrand 9 km Bert Cools 15 Råstrand Vindelgransele 25 km Pasi Kanerva 16 Vindelgransele Björksele 18 km Gregor Gumppenberg 113 km If the team spirit is still alive, and it looks that way, we should get through this day alright. We hope for a good standing when we arrive in Björksele for the veterinary check and hamburgers.

Vindelälvsdraget 2006 - Day 1 11:15pm CET, 16 Mar 2006 Team Gafsele is still pretty much asleep but at 6:30, the first team drives off to Amarnäs. Gregor and his handler/photographer/reporter Helmut Dietz are driving up there to prepare for the first mass start of this year's, 19th, edition of Vindelälvsdraget. 8:50: while everyone else is trying to get their dogs in their respective teams, Gregor Gumppenberg takes the seven dogs of his first team for a walk. Only seven dogs in this team, with six left for the second team. Pasi and Gregor who have to take a double pass today. Like last year, Team Gafsele is outnumbered in dogs, mushers, handlers and cars. Expectation aren't very high because of this, but the general consensus is to make the best of it. Entrance to Ammarnäs Gregor will start off in Ammarnäs with the help of Ferdinand and Helmut. The next stage will be taken by Pasi Kanerva, who will run the first double stage of the day; 21.5 km from Kraddsele to Hemfjäll, passing the changing point in Gillesnoule. "Easy", Pasi claims, as he trains his dogs for longer distances anyway.     It's about 8:55 when Gregor finds the time to set up his team at the starting line. All the way in the back because the first 16 teams of last year get to start from the second and first starting line. There seems to be a nice clear path to the front of the pack open for the team though, which looks like it's about to fall asleep right there on the spot. These dogs have been trained well, and it shows, being runner up in the 2006 Pirena doesn't happen without serious team discipline. As the trail boss holds up the starting flag when it's about starting time, Gregor still needs to be remembered that this indeed is a race, and yes, he really has to get on the sled to start now. Pasi, Juha and Esko setting up in Kraddsele 9:00; start. While everyone tries to make their way out of the staring area, the seven dogs of Gregor rocket forward, abusing every hole possible to get ahead of the pack. And it seems to work. Gregor drives his dogs onto the trail to Kraddsele at 6th or 7th position. The drive to Kraddsele is about 40 minutes for the teams, in which time Helmut also needs to fight himself out of the parking area, and to get on the road to drive to Kraddsele too. Meanwhile, Pasi and his handlers have arrived in Kraddsele, and are setting up as the teams are announced to arrive. First to arrive, lag number 9, Team Bridgestone from Lycksele. Only moments later, the second number is written on the board...5! Gregor has made a blistering run, and is moments away from arriving, only 4 seconds behind the leader. Mass start...Vindelälvsdraget 2006, the adventure which last from mountains to coast has started! Hannes Kronbach from Team Alpentrail is still waiting for his relay as Pasi drives through Gillesnoule As soon as Pasi receives the relay pin from Gregor, he is out for his first leg of two. Pasi makes a good run, coming in at position four in Gillesnoule. But he can't stop there, it's still 8.5km to Hemfjäll, where Bert Cools is waiting to take over for his 12.5km run of the day. The pass goes well though, and most teams who will overtake Pasi a bit later on with their fresh dogs get to watch how he leaves them them in the snowdust. Juha Kanerva, enthousiastically waving the team flag as he holds Pasi's dogs Uneventful best describes the exchange between Pasi and Bert Cools. Seperated by only 12.5km the drive from Hemfjäll to Jeribacken is short. Maybe too short because the handlers make it to Jaribacken just barely in time to receive Bert again. Either 12.5km is too long to drive, or Bert's team made a very good run. And indeed, the result list shows that Bert has covered his 12.5km in the third best time, which is a very nice result for his relatively inexperienced team of dogs. But the biggest surprise of the day comes from Reinhard Monschein, who is tasked to run the trail between Grannäs and Kvarnudden. The exchange doesn't go as well as Bert was unable to find Reinhard at first (that's what we have the team flag for!), but after finding eachother, Reinhard is out okay. At his arrival in Kvarnudden he's not too happy about how he ran his leg; his dogs "seemed a bit tired" he said, and they had some "lesser moments" during the run. Little did he know then that he ran the fastest time of all on this 13.5km! For a musher who was brought in at the very last moment as "replacement", this is very good. Ten points for sportivity! While Reinhard makes his underestimated run, Gregor Gumppenberg gets ready for running his second (and third) leg of the day. With six dogs in the team this time he will take the relay pin to Juha Kanerva who in turn will take it to today's finish in Sorsele. But that's still 17.5km away. Gregor Gumppenberg, coming into Nedre N. Örnas This is the total distance Gregor will have to run from Grannäs to Nedre N. Örnas, passing the exchange point of Kvarnudden on the way. Even though the handler (Ferdinand, who has been driving along the trail from Ammarnäs, helping along wherever needed) hasn't made it to Kvarnudden in time to guide Gregor through, it has proven not to be needed as Gregor passed it without problems as the third team to come through. Gregor manages to keep his position until he reaches his Juha Kanerva in Nedre N. Örnas. Juha takes off with the relay pin, there's only 10km to go until Sorsele. This is the last leg of the day, and only 10km long. Since everything has been going so well, and his start was also very good, we all expect Juha to arrive in Sorsele shortly. Except he doesn't. Every team we know couldn't have passed Juha as they were so far behind comes into Sorsele, but Juha himself is still missing. Only after almost an hour Juha appears with enthousiastic dogs, even though they have ran over 30km. Juha has been pointed to the wrong trail, and instead of only 10km, he more than trippled the distance he was supposed run. Of course this has had its effect on times and standings. Juha clocked in at the second last place on his leg. The racy jury will decide tomorrow what to do with the fact that Juha was pointed the wrong way. With some luck we'll receive that leg's slowest time, which will put Team Gafsele as #9 in the result list, instead of the 16th position we're occupying now. More on this as information comes available. This shows once again that even though Murphy keeps trying his best to undermine the goals of Team Gafsele, good will, enthousiasm and team spirit can overcome any setback we encounter! Tomorrow it's yet another 9am start. This time with Juha at the starting line for the second day of Vindelälvsdraget 2006.

The strategy is set again... 12:03am CET, 16 Mar 2006 Team Gafsele, in its downsized form, has reached the race site. All the paperwork has been put in order, and most of the mushers who will be starting on the first day have put their head to rest. The earliest team gets to leave at around seven in the morning to make it to the starting line in Ammarnäs in time. First mass start for Vindelälvsdraget 2006, the 19th edition, is at 9am, and will be taken by Gregor Gumppenberg. At 9am the ball starts rolling, and if all goes well the ball rolls as follows: from: to: musher: Ammarnas Kraddsele Gregor Gumppenberg (team A) Kraddsele Gillenoule Pasi Kanerva Gillesnoule Hemfjäll Pasi Kanerva Hemfjäll Jeribäcken Bert Cools Jeribäcken Grannäs Reinhard Monschein Grannäs Kvarnudden Gregor Gumppenberg (team B) Kvarnudden Nedre N. Örnas Gregor Gumppenberg (team B) Nedre N. Örnas Sorsele Juha Karnerva Just as last year, some mushers will do double legs, and some will have two teams lined up in the race...and this was the easiest day to plan! We're taking it day by day now. Riding along with the mushers are: Marc Permentier Ferdinand Tempel Esko Kanerva Helmut Dietz Jeanette Photos from "Day 0"

Exercise in flexibility 09:13pm CET, 14 Mar 2006 Despite the loss of at least 4 teams, Team Gafsele is not going to give in easily! As it stands now, we're still going appear at the starting line in Ammarnäs! It looks like the Team Gafsele musher lineup will be as follows: Gregor Gumppenberg (D) Pasi Kanerva (S) Juha Kanerva (S) Bert Cools (NL) Reinhard Monschein (A) Most of which will be running two legs every day! And a warm welcome to Reinhard who came to strengthen the team!

Kennelcough 05:33pm CET, 14 Mar 2006 It seems bad luck is striking again. A lot of the dogs in the Gafsele valley have caught a virus in the past two weeks, which made them refuse to eat or drink. Apparently that weakened their immune system in such a way that they've become susceptible to something else too: 4 of the teams who were participating in Team Gafsele are not going to start next thursday in Vindelälvsdraget 2006. Probable cause: Kennelcough! Michael Labove, Sven Heitmann and Marc & Maryse Permentier won't be participating. Right now there's an effort underway to recruit some replacement teams, we hope this will be successful.

Preliminary strategy 04:52pm CET, 8 Mar 2006 Vindelälvsdraget is not only about speed, but also about strategy. The right team needs to cover the right stretch of trail, and also the logistics of getting each team at its starting place in time has to be taken into account. At the time of writing, 35 teams have entered the 2006 edition of the Vindelälvsdraget, with on average 8 members. If every member has his own truck, this makes 8 * 35 = 280 trucks moving around on the same relatively short stretch of road, almost at the same time, with usually the same destination...anyway, at the last team meeting for Team Gafsele the following preliminary starting order has been decided. Not that it can't be changed as we go along, but at least the starting order for the first day should be pretty much set in stone: From To Distance Team Day 1 1 Ammarnås Kraddsele 21.5 km Klaus Starflinger 2 Kraddsele Gillesnoule 13 km Michael Labove 3 Gillesnoule Hemfjäll 8.5 km Juha Kanerva 4 Hemfjäll Jeribäcken 12.5 km Marc Permentier 5 Jeribäcken Grannäs 13.5 km Gregor Gumppenberg 6 Grannäs Kvarnudden 8.5 km Bert Cools 7 Kvarnudden Nedre N. Örnäs 9 km Sven Heitmann 8 Nedre N. Örnäs Sorsele 10 km Pasi Kanerva 96.5 km Day 2 9 Sorsele Nedre Saxäs 18.5 km Michael Labove 10 Nedre Saxäs Blattnicksele 13.5 km Juha Kanerva 11 Blattnicksele Sandsele 6.5 km Maryse Keppens 12 Sandsele Torviksele 13 km Gregor Gumppenberg 13 Torviksele Gargnäs 9.5 km Bert Cools 14 Gargnäs Råstrand 9 km Sven Heitmann 15 Råstrand Vindelgransele 25 km Klaus Starflinger 16 Vindelgransele Björksele 18 km Marc Permentier 113 km Day 3 17 Björksele Vormsele 15.5 km Maryse Keppens 18 Vormsele Rusksele 18 km Michael Labove 19 Rusksele Forsholm 10 km Juha Kanerva 20 Forsholm Siksele 9.5 km Bert Cools 21 Siksele Föjsviken 15 km Gregor Gumppenberg 22 Föjsviken Åmsele 7.5 km Sven Heitmann 23 Åmsele Ekorrsele 18 km Klaus Starflinger 24 Ekorrsele Strycksele 12.5 km Marc Permentier 25 Strycksele Hällnäs 13.5 km Pasi Kanerva 119.5 km Day 4 26 Hällnäs Vindeln 15 km Gregor Gumppenberg 27 Vindeln Vindelheden 17.5 km Pasi Kanerva 28 Vindelnheden Rödåsel 11 km Klaus Starflinger 29 Rödåsel Vännfors 17 km Michael Labove 30 Vännfors Vännäsby 10 km Maryse Keppens 70.5 km Vindelälvsdraget "rookie" Klaus Starflinger gets the honour of starting off the race for Team Gafsele in Ammarnäs in the mass start. As said, the team meeting was yesterday (8/3/06) evening.

Flag 01:32pm CET, 26 Feb 2006 To make Vindelälvsdraget even more exciting "Team Gafsele" made their own flag(s) so that it will be very clearly for the team members and spectators that Team Gafsele is on its way!

Yet Another New Teammember 10:00am CET, 26 Feb 2006 Two time world champion open class sprint Klaus Starflinger has joined Team Gafsele for Vindelälvsdraget 2006. Last year we showed we can compete. This year we'll try to be the best. Our musher lineup is definitly up for the task!

Mushers and handlers 10:00am CET, 4 Feb 2006 With Bert Cools as additional musher, the team is now basically complete on both musher and handler's side. About a month from now Vindelälvsdragetwill take its course, and hopefully we'll be able to again make it an unforgettable experience. Minus the bad luck of last year, of course...

New musher 12:00pm CET, 22 Jan 2006 Gregor Gumppenberg from Germany will strengthen the team for the 2006 Vindelälvsdraget.

November update 09:57pm CET, 24 Nov 2005 Things are progressing nicely sponsor wise. The team itself is still a bit small, so submissions to drive for Team Gafsele are still accepted. Handlers are also welcome. Please consider joining us for this amazing event! (c) 2005 Vindelälvsdraget

Vindelälvsdraget 2006 - Team composition 08:08pm CEST, 3 Oct 2005 The team for Vindelälvsdraget 2006 has been put together, and sofar it the total amount of drivers to seven. Even though we've showed last year that it is possible to compete at a high level in Vindelälvdraget with relatively few drivers, it's still not optimal. This means there is room for about two more drivers. So, if you read this, and would like to compete in Vindelälvsdraget 2006 as part of Team Gafsele, please email to Team Gafsele with your contact information. Sven Heitmann in the 2005 race

Vindelälvsdraget 06:35pm CEST, 30 Sep 2005 Vindelälvsdraget 2006 has opened for registration last month, and of course Team Gafsele has entered for the 2006 event too! If you would like to sponsor the team, or participate in the race for Team Gafsele, please contact Marc Permentier for more information. Also keep an eye on this website for updates!

Finished! 11:17am CET, 21 Mar 2005 (Updated 01:43pm CET, 22 Mar 2005) March 20th 2005, the Vindelälvsdraget 2005 finished in Vännäsby. Team-Gafsele managed to make it to position 17 on the end list, down from #8 after the first and second day. This decline wasn't due to bad performance, however, but sheer bad luck on day 3 and 4. more...

Day 4, the last day of Vindelälvsdraget 2005 01:43pm CET, 22 Mar 2005 After a forced day of rest, Sven Heitman's dogs are fit and ready to go. The sun is shining in Hällnäs, a beautiful day to try and make it back into the top 10 of the Vindelälvsdraget 2005 so at least next year Team Gafsele gets to start on the first starting line. Sven is taking the mass start on the last day of the Vindelälvsdraget 2005, 14km of river is waiting between Hällnäs and Vindeln where Pasi Kanerva is waiting to take over. Today is relatively short, with only 5 stretches of short distance to cross the 70.5km between Hällnäs and Vännäsby. But it won't be easy, the trails on this day are tough for dogs and drivers alike. more...

Day 3 06:56pm CET, 21 Mar 2005 The third day of the Vindelälvsdraget 2005 is about to start in Björksele on march 19th, 2005. Maryse Keppens is selected again to take the mass start. Today will be yet another long one: Maryse has to drive two teams again, and Juha and Pasi Kanerva have to put their dogs through two stages for Team Gafsele to make it through the 9 stages over 112km to Hällnäs. more...

Day 2 04:00pm CET, 21 Mar 2005 On march 18th 2005 at 9:55 in Sorsele the 8 dogs from Maryse Keppens are ready to go. The first mass start in Maryse's mushing career is going to take place in 5 minutes when the race marshal on the snowscooter will throw the red starting flag, signalling the teams to go. Destination: Nedre Saxnäs, 18.5km down the river Vindeln where Juha Kanerva will be ready to take over the relay pin. more...

Day 1 10:51pm CET, 17 Mar 2005 Ammernäs, march 17th 2005: The Vindelälvsdraget 2005 is about to start, and Michael Labove is selected to kick off this year's race for Team-Gafsele. more...

Ready! 11:05pm CET, 13 Mar 2005 (Updated 11:49am CET, 14 Mar 2005) Finally, everything is in place. The team is assembled, the sponsoring is arranged and the handlers are recruited. After some puzzling to get the logistics planned the decision is made: Gafsele will have a team competing in the 2005 Vindelälvsdraget, a 400km long stagerace for sleddogs. more...

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