Baltic Chain Tour
{{short description|Cycling stage race}}
{{Infobox cycling race
| name = Baltic Chain Tour
| current_event =
| image =
| image_caption = Baltic Chain Tour 2013 logo
| date = August
| region = Northern Europe
| english = Baltic Chain Tour
| localnames =
| nickname =
| discipline = Road
| competition = UCI Europe Tour
| type = Stage race
| organiser =
| director =
| first = {{start date|1955}}
| number = 33 (as of 2023)
| final =
| firstwinner = {{Flagathlete|Harijs Japiņš|LAT}}
| mostwins = {{Flagathlete|Ants Väravas|EST}} (3 wins)
| mostrecent = {{flagathlete|Rait Ärm|EST}}
}}
File:Baltic Chain Tour 2012 - Top3.JPG
File:Baltic Chain Tour 2012, 5th Stage - Vilnius - 37.JPG, 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.{{Cite web |url=http://balticchaintour.com/2012/12/03/baltic-chain-tour-2013-brings-many-interesting-changes/ |title=Baltic Chain Tour homepage |access-date=2013-02-23 |archive-date=2013-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814100313/http://balticchaintour.com/2012/12/03/baltic-chain-tour-2013-brings-many-interesting-changes/ |url-status=dead }}
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.[http://news.err.ee/sports/946e0247-d1b1-4b2d-9f91-2e58c6c47cdb/ Estonian Public Broadcasting]
Origins
Although the first international cycling race in the Baltics was held in 1889 from Riga (Latvia) to Tallinn (Estonia),[http://treener.eok.ee/dokument_open.php?dokument_id=217/ Estonian Olympic Committee] In Estonian 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.[http://sport.delfi.ee/news/jalgrattasport/uudised/fotod-jalgratturite-liidu-presidendid-kirjutasid-alla-balti-koostooleppe.d?id=34604915/ Delfi.ee] In Estonian
Results
=Baltic Tour=
{{Cycling past winner start}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1955|name={{sortname|Harijs|Japiņš}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1956|name={{sortname|Kazys|Paršaitis}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Cycling Team Dinamo}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1957|name={{sortname|Bronius|Krulikauskas}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Lithuania}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1958|name={{sortname|Bronius|Krulikauskas}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Lithuania}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1959|name={{sortname|Ants|Väravas}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1960|name={{sortname|Rein|Leegu}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1961|name={{sortname|Aleksandrovs|Pavlovs}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=ASK Rīga}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1962|name={{sortname|Ants|Väravas}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1963|name={{sortname|Juozas|Grabauskas}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Lithuania}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1964|name={{sortname|Ants|Väravas}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1972|name={{sortname|Vytautas|Berankis}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Lithuania}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1973|name={{sortname|Vytautas|Paškauskas}}|nat=Lithuanian SSR|natvar=|team=Lithuania}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1974|name={{sortname|Ringolds|Kalnienieks}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1975|name={{sortname|Andris|Jēkabsons}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1976|name={{sortname|Andris|Jēkabsons}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1978|name={{sortname|Andris|Sarkanis}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1979|name={{sortname|Arnis|Bergs}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1980|name=A. Mironov|nat=BUL|natvar=1971|team=Bulgaria}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1981|name={{sortname|Jaan|Veeranna}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1986|name={{sortname|Ēriks|Feldmanis}}|nat=Latvian SSR|natvar=|team=Latvia}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1987|name={{sortname|Aivar|Murd}}|nat=Estonian SSR|natvar=|team=Estonia}}
{{Cycling past winner end}}
=Baltic Chain Tour=
{{Cycling past winner start}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2011|name={{sortname|Erki|Pütsep}}|nat=EST|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|ALB2|2011}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2012|name={{sortname|Gediminas|Bagdonas}}|nat=LTU|natvar=|team=Lithuania national team}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2013|name={{sortname|Philipp|Walsleben}}|nat=GER|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|BKP|2013}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2014|name={{sortname|Mathieu|van der Poel}}|nat=NED|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|BKP|2014}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2015|name={{sortname|Andriy|Kulyk}}|nat=UKR|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|KLS|2015}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2016|name={{sortname|Māris|Bogdanovičs}}|nat=LAT|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|RBD|2016}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2017|name={{sortname|Herman|Dahl}}|nat=NOR|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|TSS|2017}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2018|name={{sortname|Emīls|Liepiņš}}|nat=LAT|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|ONE|2018}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2020|name={{sortname|Gert|Jõeäär}}|nat=EST|natvar=|team=Estonia (national team)}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2021|name={{sortname|Laurence|Pithie}}|nat=NZL|natvar=|team={{UCI team code|CGF|2021}}}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2022|name={{sortname|Rait|Ärm}}|nat=EST|natvar=|team=Estonia (national team)}}
{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2023|name={{sortname|Rait|Ärm}}|nat=EST|natvar=|team=Estonia (national team)}}
{{Cycling past winner end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|http://balticchaintour.com/}}
{{Baltic Chain Tour}}
{{Inter-Baltic competitions}}
Category:Cycle races in Lithuania
Category:Cycle races in Latvia
Category:Cycle races in Estonia
Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2011
Category:2011 establishments in Lithuania
Category:2011 establishments in Estonia
Category:2011 establishments in Latvia