Svindal and Mikkelsen under pressure
Burning rubber and jumping over road gaps in the southwest of Norway. This is what happens when Aksel Lund Svindal, the Downhill Gold Medalist, meets Andreas Mikkelsen, one of the best World Rally Championship (WRC) driver – a wildly beautiful preparation to the Rally Finland, kicking off in two days’ time.
At the world famous Lyseveien in the southwest of Norway, skier Aksel Lund Svindal met rally-driver Andreas Mikkelsen for a man-to-man battle in early June. The two Norwegian athletes gathered there for an unusual challenge and to catch the ferry to go back home: Mikkelsen chasing Svindal to get the maximum out of his mountain freeskiing, while Mikkelsen navigates a narrow path through snow banks up to eight meters high – both always under time pressure.
Svindal’s first road gap jump over a car
“The fjord, the steep mountains, the towering snow banks and the winding road; it’s a dream come true to drive here”, says an excited Andreas Mikkelsen. While the two athletes raced down the mountain Svindal landed his first ever road gap with Mikkelsen’s Volkswagen Polo R WRC passing underneath. “It required planning, speed and precision to time the jump – especially with Andreas driving underneath at 100 km/h”, explains Svindal.
As the lack of snow further down the valley made it impossible to continue on skis, Mikkelsen offered Svindal to be his co-driver for the remainder of the road till the ferry quay, which has 27 hairpin curves. It turned out to be an unforgettable trip, where the two athletes hugged safety barriers and engaged the handbrake in such an eager manner that you could smell the burning rubber.
Passion for skis and cars
In the 1.1 km long Lysetunnelen – a steep 340° tunnel at the bottom of the road – the guys reached a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). This speed was upheld in the last stretch towards the ferry quay, ending the drive in style with an unforgettable ferry entrance, followed by a 180° drift on the deck. It was an elated Svindal who came out of the car. “Experiences like these are priceless! I hope I get to attend something similar at some point,” says the 32-year old with a smile.
Mikkelsen was impressed by Svindal’s co-driver-skills, and how he pointed out blunders he believed the experienced rally driver made during the wicked run. “Aksel quickly understood how this works, and noticed the important details, like when the car lost grip for hundredths of a second. Aksel really is a multi-talent”, declared the 26-year old, who himself was part of the Norwegian Junior National Team in Alpine skiing.
Equally, Svindal has a great passion for cars: “Whenever I have a long day and need to relax, I can spend hours browsing for cars online before I go to sleep”, says Svindal, before continuing “I must admit that I envy Andreas a bit that he drives rally.” In response as to whether Svindal could be Mikkelsen’s next co-driver, the rally driver answers with a huge grin: “I would love to have Aksel as my co-pilot … but he would need to lose a little bit of bulk.” Rally Finland commencing on 30th July might prove a bit too soon.
About Lyseveien
Lyseveien opened in 1984, covering Lysebotn to Sirdal, in the southwest of Norway. The 29 km (18 miles) long road consists of 27 hairpin curves and reaches a highest point of 932 m (3057 ft.) above sea level.
