At home with Justinas
Return to Tolga...
I got the chance to go back to Tolga in November 2024. Having been there in July to ride his event, the Bright Midnight, returning to spend a little time at home with Justinas Leveika was an unexpected treat.
Stepping off the train to snow and ice was certainly a big change to the last time I visited. Justinas’ warm welcoming smile was just the same though.
The plan was to spend a couple of days with him as he saw out an incredibly busy year, do some riding, and photograph some of the new ALBION Zoa products being put to use. Real world things and people is how I like to present ALBION. We rode a couple of climbs that featured in the Bright Midnight, and I loved getting to see them again.
To spend time with Justinas is a real pleasure. He is enormously hospitable and kind. Keen to show you everything in the area, and share the beers and ice cream from Lithuania he keeps his fridge stocked with.
Aside from the ‘campaign’ images of him riding, I also took the chance to make some more impromptu pictures on my Fuji X100 around the house/town. In truth these are two different pieces of work, and probably don’t sit that well together, but who cares.
In 2024 Justinas won the Atlas Mountain Race. He also won, and broke the long standing FKT in the Tour Divide. He found time to organise and race direct his own event in Tolga, before returning twice more to America and finish first in the Colorado and Arizona Trail Races. Securing the Triple Crown and removing an astonishing 2 days from the previous record cumulative time. (I’ve written that off the top of my head, there will be countless things I’ve missed).
Despite being a proud Lithuanian, he has seemingly been fully adopted by the Norwegians in his ‘hometown’. They count his achievements as their own, and a great source of pride for Tolga Kommune. In a small town where generation after generation tend to the land, Justinas’ nursing work in the retirement home means most local families are indebted to him in some way.
Thanks Justinas for the hospitality, beer, bike loan(s) and good company.
For the main shoot I was using a Canon R6, and one of the ‘cheap’ little 50mm lenses (can’t remember the model name), which are easier and less bulky to carry. My choices on camera equipment are often on what is easiest to carry on the bike.