Baltic Chain Tour

Baltic Chain Tour
Race details
Date August
Region Northern Europe
English name Baltic Chain Tour
Discipline Road
Competition UCI Europe Tour
Type Stage race
History
First edition 1955 (1955)
Editions 27 (as of 2016)
First winner  Harijs Japiņš (LAT)
Most wins  Ants Väravas (EST)
Most recent  Maris Bogdanovics (LAT)
Baltic Chain Tour 2012 – top 3 overall.
Baltic Chain Tour 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania

Baltic Chain Tour is a stage race for professional road bicycle racers organized as a part of the UCI Continental Circuits. Baltic Chain Tour was established to commemorate Baltic Way. Tour is conducted mainly in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, however in 2013 it started in Lahti, Finland. Baltic Chain Tour is a UCI category 2.2 cycling tour.[1]

The joint Baltic cycling tour has a long history. The tradition began in the 1950s and was broken in 1987. On November 4, 2010 in Riga, the presidents of three national cycling unions signed a cooperation agreement to restore the tradition of the Baltic cycling tour.[2]

Origins

Although the first international cycling race in the Baltics was held in 1889 from Riga (Latvia) to Tallinn (Estonia),[3] the first Baltic Tour was held in 1955. For its first four years the tour was held in Latvia and Lithuania. Since 1959 the tour has been held in three Baltic countries. For many, it was a preparation for the Peace Race, which usually was held after Baltic Tour. At the time, the tour took place in May. The modern tour is raced in August to commemorate the famous Baltic Chain event. The current record holder for most wins is the Estonian Ants Väravas, who won the race three times – in 1959, 1962 and 1964.[4]

Modern Tour 2011 – present

Rider Team
2011 Estonia Pütsep, ErkiErki Pütsep (EST) Alpha Baltic–Unitymarathons.com
2012 Lithuania Bagdonas, GediminasGediminas Bagdonas (LTU) Lithuania national team
2013 Germany Walsleben, PhilippPhilipp Walsleben (GER) BKCP–Powerplus
2014 Netherlands van der Poel, MathieuMathieu van der Poel (NED) BKCP–Powerplus
2015 Ukraine Kulyk, AndriyAndriy Kulyk (UKR) Kolss BDC Team
2016 Latvia Bogdanovics, MarisMaris Bogdanovics (LAT) Rietumu–Delfin

Stage Winners by Nationality

# of Victories Country Riders
6  Lithuania Gediminas Bagdonas
Raimondas Rumšas
5  Ukraine Volodymyr Gomenuk
Yuri Metlushenko
Mykhaylo Kononenko
Andriy Kulyk
3  Germany Philipp Walsleben
Marcel Meisen
Phil Bauhaus
2  Latvia Indulis Bekmanis
Andris Smirnovs
2  Russia Andrey Sazanov
Ivan Balykin
2  Sweden Alexander Gingsjö
1  Slovakia Patrik Tybor
1  Estonia Mihkel Räim
1  Netherlands Mathieu van der Poel
1  Finland Matti Manninen

Baltic Tour winners 1955–1987

Rider Team
1955 Latvia Japiņš, HarijsHarijs Japiņš (LAT) Latvia
1956 Lithuania Paršaitis, KazysKazys Paršaitis (LTU) Cycling Team Dinamo
1957 Lithuania Krulikauskas, BroniusBronius Krulikauskas (LTU) Lithuania
1958 Lithuania Krulikauskas, BroniusBronius Krulikauskas (LTU) Lithuania
1959 Estonia Väravas, AntsAnts Väravas (EST) Estonia
1960 Estonia Leegu, ReinRein Leegu (EST) Estonia
1961 Latvia Pavlovs, AleksandrovsAleksandrovs Pavlovs (LAT) ASK Rīga
1962 Estonia Väravas, AntsAnts Väravas (EST) Estonia
1963 Lithuania Grabauskas, JuozasJuozas Grabauskas (LTU) Lithuania
1964 Estonia Väravas, AntsAnts Väravas (EST) Estonia
1972 Lithuania Berankis, VytautasVytautas Berankis (LTU) Lithuania
1973 Lithuania Paškauskas, VytautasVytautas Paškauskas (LTU) Lithuania
1974 Latvia Kalnienieks, RingoldsRingolds Kalnienieks (LAT) Latvia
1975 Latvia Jēkabsons, AndrisAndris Jēkabsons (LAT) Latvia
1976 Latvia Jēkabsons, AndrisAndris Jēkabsons (LAT) Latvia
1978 Latvia Sarkanis, AndrisAndris Sarkanis (LAT) Latvia
1979 Latvia Bergs, ArnisArnis Bergs (LAT) Latvia
1980 Bulgaria Mironov, A.A. Mironov (BUL) Bulgaria
1981 Estonia Veeranna, JaanJaan Veeranna (EST) Estonia
1986 Latvia Feldmanis, ĒriksĒriks Feldmanis (LAT) Latvia
1987 Estonia Murd, AivarAivar Murd (EST) Estonia

References

  1. ↑ Baltic Chain Tour homepage
  2. ↑ Estonian Public Broadcasting
  3. ↑ Estonian Olympic Committee In Estonian
  4. ↑ Delfi.ee In Estonian
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