Baltic Chain Tour

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]

Baltic Chain Tour
Race details
DateAugust
RegionNorthern Europe
English nameBaltic Chain Tour
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI Europe Tour
TypeStage race
Web sitebalticchaintour.com
History
First edition1955 (1955)
Editions33 (as of 2023)
First winner Harijs Japiņš (LAT)
Most wins Ants Väravas (EST) (3 wins)
Most recent Rait Ärm (EST)
Baltic Chain Tour 2012 – top 3 overall.
Baltic Chain Tour 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania

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 anniversary of the famous Baltic Way event in 1989. The current record holder for most wins is the Estonian Ants Väravas, who won the race three times – in 1959, 1962 and 1964.[4]

Results

Baltic Tour
Year Country Rider Team
1955  Latvian SSR Harijs Japiņš Latvia
1956  Lithuanian SSR Kazys Paršaitis Cycling Team Dinamo
1957  Lithuanian SSR Bronius Krulikauskas Lithuania
1958  Lithuanian SSR Bronius Krulikauskas Lithuania
1959  Estonian SSR Ants Väravas Estonia
1960  Estonian SSR Rein Leegu Estonia
1961  Latvian SSR Aleksandrovs Pavlovs ASK Rīga
1962  Estonian SSR Ants Väravas Estonia
1963  Lithuanian SSR Juozas Grabauskas Lithuania
1964  Estonian SSR Ants Väravas Estonia
1972  Lithuanian SSR Vytautas Berankis Lithuania
1973  Lithuanian SSR Vytautas Paškauskas Lithuania
1974  Latvian SSR Ringolds Kalnienieks Latvia
1975  Latvian SSR Andris Jēkabsons Latvia
1976  Latvian SSR Andris Jēkabsons Latvia
1978  Latvian SSR Andris Sarkanis Latvia
1979  Latvian SSR Arnis Bergs Latvia
1980  Bulgaria A. Mironov Bulgaria
1981  Estonian SSR Jaan Veeranna Estonia
1986  Latvian SSR Ēriks Feldmanis Latvia
1987  Estonian SSR Aivar Murd Estonia

Baltic Chain Tour
Year Country Rider Team
2011  Estonia Erki Pütsep Alpha Baltic–Unitymarathons.com
2012  Lithuania Gediminas Bagdonas Lithuania national team
2013  Germany Philipp Walsleben BKCP–Powerplus
2014  Netherlands Mathieu van der Poel BKCP–Powerplus
2015  Ukraine Andriy Kulyk Kolss BDC Team
2016  Latvia Māris Bogdanovičs Rietumu–Delfin
2017  Norway Herman Dahl Team Sparebanken Sør
2018  Latvia Emīls Liepiņš ONE Pro Cycling
2020  Estonia Gert Jõeäär Estonia (national team)
2021  New Zealand Laurence Pithie Groupama–FDJ Continental Team
2022  Estonia Rait Ärm Estonia (national team)
2023  Estonia Rait Ärm Estonia (national team)

References
  1. "Baltic Chain Tour homepage". Archived from the original on 2013-08-14. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  2. Estonian Public Broadcasting
  3. Estonian Olympic Committee In Estonian
  4. Delfi.ee In Estonian
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