On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Republic of Estonia, the Baltic Chain Tour is once again just around the corner. The three-day, four-stage Baltic Chain Tour gets underway on 21 August. The race will take place on roads across Latvia and Estonia. A total of 124 riders representing 17 different nationalities are expected to line up for the UCI 2.2-level race.
The undisputed ruler of the Baltic Chain Tour so far has been Rait Ärm, who has claimed a record three victories – in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Ärm will be on the start line once again this year and could make it a record-breaking fourth overall victory. However, he will face plenty of strong competition, bringing more dynamics to the race and raising the overall level of the event.
One rider who comes into the race with plenty of momentum and will certainly be among the contenders for the overall victory is Romet Pajur. Pajur is the current Estonian and Baltic champion in the road race and has recently signed a two-year professional contract with Burgos Burpellet BH. After holding the overall leader’s position at the Tour of Estonia until the final stage in the spring, Pajur is also one of the favourites for the national team at this year’s Baltic Chain Tour.
Another major contender for the overall victory is Polish rider Marceli Bogusławski of ATT Investments, who was the rider who snatched victory at the Tour of Estonia from R. Pajur earlier this spring.
In addition to Ärm, Energus Cycling Team also has another card to play – Martins Pluto. The Latvian road race champion, who rides for the Lithuanian team Energus Cycling Team, has recovered from injuries suffered in the spring and has shown steadily improving form in recent races.
The first stage of the tour starts on 21 August at 10:00 in Latvia, at the Biķernieki circuit, where the teams will compete in a team time trial. All teams will race against the clock around the circuit. After a short break, the riders will continue with a road race from Riga towards Estonia, finishing in Valga.
The following two days of the tour will take place in Estonia. Saturday’s road race starts in Kuremaa, while the race will culminate on the third day with a battle across the roads of Southern Estonia.
The Baltic Chain Tour, the successor to the historic Baltic Tour, was revived in 2011. Since 2012, the stage race has been part of the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar. In 2014, the tour was won by one of the biggest names in world cycling, Mathieu van der Poel. The tour helps keep alive the memory of a significant political event – the 1989 Baltic Way – and its importance. Over the years, more than 770 riders from foreign clubs around the world have competed on the roads of the Baltic states, gaining their first insight into the recent history of the Baltic countries through their participation in the tour.
