Baltic Chain Cycling Tour Heads South
The Baltic Chain Tour, an amateur cycling race through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, began its second stage today, with its more than 100 participating riders heading from Viljandi towards Tõrva.
The tradtion of holding a Baltic-wide cycling tour began in the 1950s and lasted until 1991. In Riga in 2010, the presidents of three nations' cycling unions signed a cooperation agreement to restore the tradition of the Baltic cycling tour, with the first held last year. Organizers hope to eventually raise the event to pro status.
Named after the famous human chain event held on August 23, 1989 as a protest against Soviet rule, the tour's five stages take place throughout the Baltics. The first two stages are held in Estonia. Yesterday's Tallinn-Viljandi stage was won by Alexander Gingsjö of Sweden.
Eighteen teams from 14 different countries are taking part in this year's race.
The tour ends in Vilnius on August 25.
Robin Ilves