The Bus of Broken Hearts

With over 15,000 participants and millions of television viewers worldwide, the Vasaloppet is one of Sweden’s most popular sporting events—a 90-kilometer race that can take some competitors up to 16 hours to complete. But what happens to those who drop out? Those who haven’t trained enough, who lack sufficient grip wax—or perhaps those who have fallen and broken a ski pole? The reasons for quitting are countless, but these skiers share one thing in common: the unpleasant journey to Mora in the "dropout bus."