Finnish junior cyclists have had to rely on borrowed bikes.
– There is a very high probability that Finnair will not be able to deliver bikes here while the competition is on, because they don’t know where the bikes are on the Helsinki-Vantaa airport, and they don’t have the resources either.
This is what the team leader of the Finnish under-18 junior cycling team commented Juho Suikkari From Korea.
On Tuesday, seven national team cyclists left Finland for South Korea for the Nations Cup competition between the countries, which is practically the third hardest competition right after the World and European Championships.
The team landed in Seoul shortly before noon on Wednesday. After landing, the athletes read a message from Finnair: The bikes have remained in Finland.
– We made official announcements that the luggage is missing. After that, we started calling again and again that it would be important if the boys’ tools were here so that we could compete. We didn’t get any answers at first.
The next Finnair plane landed in Seoul on Thursday, but it too had no wheels.
On Thursday evening, Suikkari finally got some answers from Finnair.
– I received a call from Finnair’s customer service that the airport had promised that the bikes would be hunted down and taken care of for the flight starting in the evening. I was hopeful that I could also tell the boys that this was what they had been told and promised.
With the next phone call, hopes were dashed. The flight landed in Seoul on Friday, but something was missing.
– I made another confirmation call and the answer was that the bikes are not on the Seoul flight. In the same call it was said that they still can’t guarantee that the bikes will come here to Korea.
The Finnish team had to resort to borrowed bikes, as the first stage was run on Friday.
The loaner bikes were not free.
– We had to spend money – another thousand euros. The expectation was that when the day’s stage was over, we would be able to pick up the bikes at the airport.
It was still hoped on Friday that the bikes would arrive in Korea during the competition. The competition lasts five days. However, the opposite is happening.
Really disappointed
The race won’t get any easier in the future, but the routes will be directed towards the mountains. Then your own bike would be more expensive than gold.
The use of loaner bikes was immediately visible in the first stage of the race.
Seven Finnish athletes went to the stage, four of whom had their careers in the competition interrupted right at the opening stage.
– The boys were really disappointed when they heard after the stage that the bikes are not here. And upset that the competition is over.
– On Friday, the fact that the boys didn’t have their own bikes played a big role. There were only bikes that we had borrowed from here, and they really weren’t very suitable for the boys.
The boys didn’t know on Friday that they probably won’t get their own bikes to Korea at any point.
If the bikes do arrive in Korea at some point, the logistics are already causing problems.
The Nations Cup competition is a stage competition. On Saturday morning, for example, the Finnish team packs their things into the car and drives 200 kilometers from the current hotel to the town of Paju.
After picking up the bikes, they still have to be assembled.
Finnair answers
Finnair has had difficulties in handling aircraft loads. KIMMO BRANDT / AOP
Finnair’s communication was told by email that the airline cannot comment on individual cases of its customers.
According to them, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport has had challenges this week in handling luggage.
– On Monday, heavy rains caused several interruptions in the loading and unloading of aircraft. Luggage has also been delayed due to technical problems with Finavia’s luggage belt. These problems have been fixed. In addition, the Iron Man competitions in Lahti have been reflected in the amount and handling of luggage due to the exceptionally large amount of special luggage (bicycles).
Finnair says that it is in personal contact with customers.
– We are truly sorry for the delays in handling the luggage and the inconvenience and trouble it has caused to our customers. We have delivered delayed luggage to customers afterwards, and of course we will do our best to ensure that the rest of the delayed luggage can be delivered to customers now during the weekend.
According to Suikkar, Finnair’s words have no meaning at the moment.
– Finnair has said that there has been a lot of congestion at the airport, but that is not much comfort in such a situation.
– Yes, this is frustrating. We know how to be sorry.
Stage win
Suikkari says that the boys have handled the difficult situation very well.
– That (frustration) has not been vented outwards. Of course, we have tried to keep spirits high. Although this is a challenging situation, we assume that this challenge will be overcome. And not make it too much of a challenge.
Nikolas Grönlund rode the first stage to victory on a borrowed bike. Kasper Boremans was, on the other hand, fourth in the stage.
– They are exceptionally hard performances in Finnish cycling. Such results are not commonplace. We should be able to rejoice in success, but we have seven really disappointed boys here. Everyone would have had the conditions to continue the competition tomorrow.
Finnair’s actions speak volumes. PDO