Yesterday, on August 11, the next stage of the Latvian Cup cycling “Biķernieku apļi” took place on the Biķernieki track, with the participants competing for the second stage in a row in the 70-kilometer-long “ELEVEN-SPORTSWEAR.LV Grand Prix” group race, where the final finish Māris Bogdanovičs, the winner of the bronze medals of the last two years in the group race, won the victory of Krister Anson, who dominated the intermediate finals of the last stage, and Pēteris Prūss, a participant of the Tokyo Olympic Games from Estonia, finished twelfth.
Meanwhile, Pauls Rubenis, the champion of this year’s Latvian U23 group in the group race, dominated in the intermediate finishes, being the first in three out of four, informs the representative of the organizers Ivars Bācis.
After the third stage at the end of July, two weeks passed, and again cyclists from the Baltic States gathered in Biķernieki to compete in the 70 km (13 laps) group ride of the highway cycling competition “ELEVEN-SPORTSWEAR.LV Grand Prix” organized by “EVELO Sport Agency”. Although this time the average speed did not exceed 47km / h, not exceeding the record set in the previous stage, the pace was again very fast – 46.5km / h. The number of participants again exceeded 100 – 104 cyclists.
At the beginning of the distance, a group of leaders was formed with the Latvian-speaking 2016 European champion MTB Pēteris Prūsis, the elite Paul Ruben, the Lithuanian Darius Džervus, the second stage winner Kristaps Knops, the third stage winner Aiva Leibmans vice-champion Guido Kokli. This six, with the majority over the closest followers reaching half a minute, drove several laps together, when at the beginning of the second half of the distance or in the seventh lap they were caught by a chase group of 11 cyclists, including Latvian champion group and individual rider Andris Vosekalns and European U23 vice-champion Andžs Flaksis, Estonian champions – Alo Jakins and Madiss Mikhels, as well as medalists of our national championship in the U23 group Kristers Ansons and Alekss Krasts.
The newly formed group of leaders of 17 cyclists held only one lap, because after that in each subsequent lap one participant dropped out, among them also the 2019 European Games vice-champion and the winner of the previous stage, Jakin from Estonia. last stage winner Jakins. Going on the last lap of the 13th, there were 12 cyclists in the leading group, who were a minute and a half ahead of their closest followers. Three kilometers to the finish, five of the group of leaders tried to implement the strike, which they also succeeded, and thus in the last kilometer it was already clear that only four Latvians remained among the applicants for the ELEVEN-SPORTSWEAR.LV Grand Prix 70km group race (Vosekalns , Flaksis, Ansons, Bogadnovičs) and one Lithuanian (Jervus).
About 400m to the end, the finish spurt started with Ansons, who in the last stage focused on the intermediate finishes, but this time had saved his energy for the finish. Another 100m to the finish, it seemed that Anson’s goal would be fulfilled, but the plans of the titled Uldis Anson’s son were thwarted by Bogdanovich, who was the first with a strong sprint finish line, entering the top three for the first time this year and becoming the fourth different winner. Anson also came in the Top3 with the second place and Jervus with the third place for the first time, while Vosekalns, who had just become a father in the previous stages, had to settle for the 4th place.
In the women’s competition, without participating in the convincing winner of the previous stage – European junior champion on the track Olivia Baleitis, who just won the 17th place on the track in Tokyo, Madara Aboma won the first place. .
Paul Rubenis won three of the four intermediate finishes, earning the Song Wash, Red Bull awards and a box of beer, but repeating Anson’s achievement with Rubenimp interrupter Bogdanovich, who was the fastest in the third intermediate finish at the end of the eighth lap at the Elevensportswear award.
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