Prima Evadare test run, Eastern Europe’s biggest MTB competition – Bucharest, Romania

Prima Evadare – “the first escape” – takes place every spring. It’s a flat non-technical MTB race from Bucharest to Snagov, where Ceaușescu had a summer house by the way. It is some 55km and more than 2000 participants last year. There is more to read at www.primaevadare.ro

This year the race is May 12 but Andrei and I try it out almost all the track and then aim for asphalt going home. After exiting the forest where I usually anyway go you pass the sweet smelling tobacco factory

Classic littering

Typical Latin/Romanian style: In spite of 20 degrees Andrei is wearing a lot, here passing the airport

Flat as a pancake. Not really MTB, but good for getting in shape.

Andrei had already done 20 km before we met up so after some additional 20 we have a break

Ok, the pancake has some irregularities. We pass a lake where some dudes are drinking beer. I mean fishing.

Small uphill after the lake …

And then flat

Greeeeen

And muddy, if you want to

Too long straights and too flat for me. Some logs is making up for it

When it’s raining during the competition, this is known to be a hell. 1 km of incredible sticky mud

Finally some single track and the best part of the race – a winding trail along a lake.

Also these dudes are drinking beer, fishing, littering or whatever

Some more playing and then we leave the race track and head home

Some locals show up in their pimped Dacia 1310. Would fit in nicely with the “Epa”-guys back home in Sweden

We are reminded about the differences… For most people in Romania a bike like mine or Andrei’s is simply not affordable. This guy has been to the forest for some wood to fire up the stove at home. He has already walked for a while and there is still far to go to the next houses will appear