THE 47th PIRKKA CYCLING EVENT TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY JUNE 9th AND NIGHT CYCLING EVENT ON FRIDAY JUNE 14th

Pirkka Cycling welcomes you all to enjoy the atmosphere of Finland’s biggest cycling event! Usually we have over 3000 participants. You can choose between four different tracks: Pirkka Tour 217 km, Classic Tour 134 km, Pirkka’s Pyhä 40 km and “The Little one” 4 km.
Pirkka Night Cycling Event takes place Friday June 14th 2024.

NEWS

DISTANCE & ROUTE

GPX-files

PitkäPirkka 217 km  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46768307 

Klassikko 134 km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46587457 

HiekkaPirkka n. 177 km https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46351829

 

The 217 km Long Pirkka event starts from the Hakametsä Ice Hall yard in 30-person groups at one-minute intervals beginning at 7:20 AM. Faster average speed groups start first, followed by riders without a specific target time. The starts happen in numerical order and are completed by approximately 7:55 AM.

The route goes from Tampere to Nokia, then towards Mahnala and Hämeenkyrö. From there, it returns to Ylöjärvi, where it joins the shorter Classic loop. The route continues around Lake Näsijärvi through Kuru, Murole, and Terälahti back to Tampere.

Participants in the Long Pirkka can join special average speed groups, where the pace is maintained by lead riders. The cycling club Kaupin Kanuunat leads these groups, each with its own group leader. Four different average speeds are offered: 34, 32, 30, and 28 (+-1) km/h. The maximum group size, including leaders, is 45 people. The 34 km/h group takes an additional loop to Parkano (total distance 240 km) and the 32 km/h B-group goes via Karhee and Viitapohja. Any mechanical issues must be handled independently, and the group does not wait for stopped riders. Joining the average speed groups along the route is prohibited!

Sports drinks will be distributed at the start for personal bottles. There are eight aid stations along the route. At the finish, participants will be served a soup lunch. The finish line at Hakametsä Ice Hall closes at 8:00 PM.

The Long Pirkka is accepted as a part of the Pirkan Kierros.

The 134 km Classic event starts from the Hakametsä Ice Hall yard in 30-person groups at one-minute intervals beginning at 8:00 AM. When registering on our website, you can choose your start time: 8:00, 8:20, 8:40, or 9:00. We recommend that the fastest riders (target time under 5 hours) register for the first start group at 8:00. The 8:20 start is primarily for those aiming for a total time under 6 hours, and the 8:40 start for those aiming for under 7 hours. In the Classic event, each start wave consists of 30-person groups with a total of 400 riders, followed by a ten-minute break before the next start time. Starting during this 10-minute break is prohibited. By registering for the recommended start time group, you are more likely to find fellow riders maintaining the same pace from the beginning, reducing the need for overtaking on the road and improving traffic safety. Starts happen in numerical order, and queue jumping with a higher number is prohibited. The starts are completed by approximately 9:45 AM. If you miss the mass start, you can still start riding behind the others until 10:00 AM. After that, a follow-up car will set off to collect route signs.

The route goes from Tampere to Ylöjärvi, then continues around Lake Näsijärvi through Kuru, Murole, and Terälahti back to Tampere.

Sports drinks will be distributed at the start for personal bottles. There are five aid stations along the route. At the finish, participants will be served a soup lunch. The finish line at Hakametsä Ice Hall closes at 8:00 PM.

The Classic is accepted as part of the Pirkan Kierros.

The HiekkaPirkka (177 km) starts at 8:15 AM. HiekkaPirkka is a group ride on gravel, cyclocross, and well-rolling mountain bikes (27.5″/29″). The route is not marked, but a GPX file will be distributed at the start.

The goal is to maintain a steady pace in groups. The entire group rides together to Ylöjärvi, after which they can split into three groups with speeds of 20-22 km/h, 22-24 km/h, and 24+ km/h if necessary.

All aid stations for the Classic are available along the HiekkaPirkka route.

The route goes from Tampere through Niemenranta and Siivikkala to Ylöjärvi, then continues following the gravel roads along the shore of Lake Näsijärvi through Kuru, Murole, Terälahti, Maisansalo, Aitoniemi, and Kauppi, returning to Tampere.

Sports drinks will be distributed at the start for personal bottles. There are five aid stations along the route. At the finish, participants will also be served a soup lunch. The finish line at Hakametsä Ice Hall closes at 8:00 PM.

HiekkaPirkka is accepted as part of the Pirkan Kierros.

Pirkan Pyhä starts on Sunday at 10:30 AM. First organized in 2013, Pirkan Pyhä follows the light traffic routes through the city center and continues along the marked cycling route around Lake Pyhäjärvi. The route will still include many gravel roads. Due to tramway construction sites and other roadworks in the Tampere city center, the exact route of Pirkan Pyhä will be determined closer to the event. Similarly, the direction around Lake Pyhäjärvi (via Nokia to Pirkkala or vice versa) will be chosen based on the safest route. Route choices will avoid major roads, as many children with their guardians participate in the Pyhä.

There is one aid station along the route at the Rantaniitty party hall in Pirkkala. Kahvila Seela at the aid station will also be open from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The finish line closes at 8:00 PM.

The Lilliputti (4 km) event for the youngest family members starts approximately at 10:45 AM, following the Pirkan Pyhä. The route leads to the newly renovated traffic park in Kaleva. There will be activities for families in the park, supported by Tampere Cyclists and the City of Tampere’s sports services. The park will offer small refreshments for children and a bike maintenance station to check the condition of the bikes. At the finish, participants will receive a medal, just like the older Pirkan riders.

The Lilliputti route is accessible and suitable for riders using various assistive devices. Guardians can easily walk alongside the youngest participants, as long as they keep up with the little ones.

Participants will be served a soup lunch at the finish.

The atmospheric Night Cycling event takes place on a 134 km loop from Friday night to Saturday morning, one week after the main Pirkka Cycling event. The ride starts from Hakametsä Ice Hall on Friday evening at 9:00 PM, and the finish line closes at 6:00 AM on Saturday morning. The only aid station during the Night Cycling event is in Murole, where a warm soup meal is available. Sports drinks will be available at the start to fill your own bottles, and drinks will also be provided at the finish.

The event office for Night Cycling opens on Friday evening at 8:00 PM.

Night Cycling is accepted as part of the Pirkan Kierros.

Both the Long Pirkka and the Classic can also be completed on rollerblades. Rollerblading over 200 kilometers is such a demanding feat that we recommend having your own support vehicle. For the Classic, instead of the official aid station at the end of the first gravel section, we will provide a separate unofficial water station for rollerbladers.

The Lilliputti and Pirkan Pyhä routes include gravel roads, making them unsuitable for rollerblading.

Both rollerblading categories are accepted as part of the Pirkan Kierros.