Lauri Tamm sealed overall victory at the 2026 Baltic Chain Tour as the National Team of Estonia completed a clean sweep of all four classification jerseys. Mārtiņš Pluto of Energus Cycling Team won the final 147.5-kilometre stage solo after a late breakaway battle, while Tamm successfully defended his overall lead to claim the Tour title.
The shortest stage of the 2026 Baltic Chain Tour proved to be another demanding test, with 147.5 kilometres taking the riders through the hills of southern Estonia. After the brutal second stage, only 95 riders lined up for the final day.
Tamm started the stage in the yellow jersey, holding a seven-second advantage over his National Team of Estonia teammate Norman Vahtra. Magnus Machholdt of REFFEN CO:Play Giant Store was third overall, just seven seconds behind Tamm and the only non-Estonian rider in the top three.
The race was aggressive from the gun, with numerous attacks coming in the opening kilometres. None of the early moves were able to establish a lasting advantage, but after an hour of racing the first successful breakaway finally formed. Eight more riders eventually bridged across, creating a 13-rider group at the front.
When the race reached Ihamaru, the riders faced four laps of a demanding circuit, with all three intermediate sprints contested on the circuit. The breakaway maintained an advantage of between 1:15 and 1:30 for much of the four laps.
Romet Pajur dominated the intermediate sprints, taking maximum points at all three. Martin Voltr of ATT Investments and Mārtiņš Pluto joined him on the podium in the first two sprints, while Pluto and Jakub Kaczmarek took the remaining places in the third.
After the third sprint, Pajur had moved into the virtual lead of the overall points classification by just two seconds. However, with 45 kilometres still remaining after the final lap, the peloton began to increase the pressure.
ATT Investments and the National Team of Estonia took control of the chase, quickly reducing the gap from around 1:30 to 50 seconds and then 30 seconds. One breakaway rider after another was caught until only Pluto remained at the front.
The Energus rider refused to surrender. With 5 kilometres to go, Pluto still held a 15-second advantage. Three kilometres later, his lead had been reduced to just 10 seconds, but he continued to hold off the charging peloton.
“I started to believe I could win about two kilometres before the finish,” Pluto said after the stage.
The peloton was preparing for a bunch sprint when a crash occurred at the final roundabout in the rear part of the group. At the front, however, Pluto held his nerve and completed the solo escape to take the biggest victory of his Baltic Chain Tour.
Michal Pomorski of ATT Investments won the sprint for second place, with Bartłomiej Proć of Wibatech Lubelskie Perła Polski taking third. Norman Vahtra was the best-placed Estonian rider in fourth.
While Pluto celebrated the stage victory, the battle for the overall classification was settled behind him. Pajur finished 39th on the stage, meaning his impressive intermediate-sprint haul was not enough to overturn Tamm’s overall advantage.
Tamm therefore became the 2026 Baltic Chain Tour overall winner, completing a successful Tour for the National Team of Estonia.
The Estonian team also dominated the final classification ceremony, winning all four major jersey classifications:
- Tour Overall Winner: Lauri Tamm — National Team of Estonia
- Most Competitive Rider: Romet Pajur — National Team of Estonia
- Most Active Rider: Romet Pajur — National Team of Estonia
- Best Young Rider: Lauri Tamm — National Team of Estonia
After three demanding days of racing across Latvia and Estonia, the 2026 Baltic Chain Tour ends with the National Team of Estonia firmly at the top of the standings, while Mārtiņš Pluto’s brave solo ride provides a memorable finale to this year’s race.
