Christos Tsitselis, a two wheel greek, was on his way to North Cape and saw the ACR sign at E6. The surprised Greek had to stop at the nearest village to google it, because the tourist information had not mentioned a word. Five minutes later he is in the padock with a big WOW and a smile at least as big!!
Christos Tsitselis is like so many other southern Europeans, a huge motorcycle enthusiast, and he has traveled around Europe several times. Christos has also driven from Athens and around half the Mediterranean to participate in track days in Spain, and he has also been to Thailand and driven the legendary route Mae Hong Son Loop.
The Greek was heading north on his Ducati Multistrada was overtaken on the slopes up towards the tunnel in Ildhøllia by an similar Ducati, and the rider was former Bol D’or road racing driver Kjell-Owe Jektvik. In true motorbike manner, they greet each other, and when Jektvik turns off towards Arctic Circle Raceway a couple of kilometers further north, Christos becomes extra attentive.
After finding the surprising information on Google, Christos arrives at the arena just as the day's road racing practice has ended. It was a light and calm atmosphere, and the organizer is in a laid back mode at the evening before the Norwegian Championship. It doesn't take many minutes before Christos is in conversation with event leader Geir Steinbakk, club leader Kenny Karstensen, the Ducati twin Kjell-Owe Jektvik and one of the circuit founders, Oystein Bentzen. The cheerful conversation did not last long before Christo's enthusiasm was understood by the guys from the club.
- Get rid of some equipment on the bike and take a trip around the track, says Steinbakk, and Christos can hardly believe what he is hearing. Arriving at a racetrack and after a five minutes talk being allowed to drive on the track by the track's race director is far from the European standard. And on top of it, Cristos can drive for free!
- In this shitty weather, we have to take care of real motorcycle people who have driven far, smiles Steinbakk.
Christos is a professional photographer and has all kinds of photographic equipment with him. After a few laps around the track, he retrieves a drone that goes straight to verse. He documents his journey carefully, and over a cup of coffee afterwards can talk about a trip to Norway that has already been greatly delayed. He has visited several places on the journey, including the Prekestolen, and he has met many pleasant motorcycle people along the way.
- Where does the journey continue? Even more rain has been reported, he is asked.
- First the North Cape, and then it will be south through Finland and Poland. I bet the weather will be good.
We do not know what kind of meteorological powers Christos have his connection to, but well home in Athens he can tell on messenger: “I was so extremely lucky! I just had one day with rain. It was raining during the night so I enjoyed it so much”.
As a true motorcycle enthusiast, he wants to return to Mo i Rana, fascinated by the fact that it is driven anti-clockwise, and he writes on Messenger: "All tracks in Greece have right "fast" corners...yours has 3 left. My good side is left, so it is going to be a paradise for me!”
