A record number of skiers were forced to quit this year's Vasaloppet due to wet snow and poor tracks. The cause was the newly fallen snow and very poor tracks combined with ice forming under skis for many when they became stationary in the first hill, according to Tommy Höglund, Vasaloppet's sports director. Before the race, the time limit at the first checkpoint in Smågan had already been extended by half an hour.
When the clock approached the new time of 11:00, too many skiers were still far from Smågan, and a decision was made to give the skiers an additional half hour. Despite the extended time limits, 21 percent of the starters were forced to quit the race, a new record. The high proportion of skiers who quit the race led to significant pressure on the available quit buses.
The cause was the newly fallen snow and very poor tracks combined with ice forming under skis for many when they became stationary in the first hill
To get buses up to Mångsbodarna and Risberg, help was needed from the police who drove ahead and flashed lights. The next day, it was eight degrees cold and the sun was shining.