There are not that many Swedes who have had to wear the red-dotted mountain jersey in the Tour de France. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to call Fredrik Kessiakoff an expert commentator the conference on road cycling and tourism which Sweden by Bike organizes together with the Vätternrundan on June 15. He began his successful career as an MTB cyclist and today works as a Key Account manager at the Swedish Cycling Association. We asked Fredrik Kessiakoff to answer a few questions.
What are you most looking forward to during the day?
To be able to talk about bicycles and the opportunities that are out there in our long country. Cycling tourism is huge abroad and we are pleased to see that it is also starting to pick up here at home in Sweden.
Why did you become interested in cycling in the first place?
The freedom! But also the individual performance. After all, I started as a mountain biker and could use the bike to explore nature and the forest even though I was only 14 years old. Then quite quickly came the desire to perform and the fact that it was up to me to perform or not, unlike in a team sport.
What is your best memory as a competitive cyclist?
Getting to wear the mountain jersey at the Tour de France was of course a powerful experience.
If you were to take a foreign friend on a really nice bike ride somewhere in Sweden, where would you go?
On the MTB, I would choose the Nackareservatet outside Stockholm or the Kinnekulleden down in Västergötland. On the LVG, I would choose the small roads north of Stockholm. And on Graveln, I would take my friend to the small roads around Halmstad, who is also looking to host the Gravel WC 2028!
Merit in selection:
- 1st Stage Vuelta Espana 2012
- 1a Stage Switzerland around 2012
- 1a Total Austria around 2011
- 1a Stage Austria around 2011
- 2nd mountain competition Tour de France, 7 stages in the mountain jersey 2012
- 1st World Cup MTB Maribor 2007
- 3rd WC MTB Rotorua 2006
- 3rd EC MTB Cappadocia 2007
