The pair ignored protests from race organizers, who said that temperatures at the race fell as low as five degrees overnight.
“This was of course a completely unacceptable way for the parents to behave, and something we’ve never encountered before,” said Eva-Lena Frick, CEO of Vätternrundan, to Östgöta Correspondenten.
The couple carried their daughter on a specially-built bike. They were noticed by organizers after they had cycled about 40 kilometres. The temperature was by then five degrees and the girl was described as “very cold” by organizers. Several officials were upset by what they saw, the paper said.
Ambulance staff tried to persuade the parents to pull out of the race, but they chose to continue. At the next stop officials tried again to get the couple to break off the race, but the couple continued with their daughter on the bike.
Eva-Lena Frick said that in retrospect it was a mistake not to force the family to stop. The race committee is now considering disqualifying the couple.
“We’re also going to read the rules carefully to make sure it does not happen again.”
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