![Baltic Chain Tour 2012, 5th Stage - Vilnius - 37](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Baltic_Chain_Tour_2012%2C_5th_Stage_-_Vilnius_-_37.JPG)
Baltic Chain Tour is a
stage race for professional
road bicycle racers organized as a part of the
UCI Continental Circuits
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
. Baltic Chain Tour was established to commemorate
Baltic Way. Tour is conducted mainly in the Baltic states of
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Latvia and
Lithuania, however in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
it started in
Lahti
Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. Baltic Chain Tour is a UCI category 2.2 cycling tour.
[Baltic Chain Tour homepage](_blank)
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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.[Estonian Public Broadcasting](_blank)
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Origins
Although the first international cycling race in the Baltics was held in 1889 from Riga (Latvia) to Tallinn (Estonia),[Estonian Olympic Committee](_blank)
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
The Peace Race (german: Friedensfahrt, cs, Závod míru, sk, Preteky mieru, russian: Велогонка Мира (), pl, Wyścig Pokoju , french: Course de la Paix, it, Corsa della Pace, ro, Cursa Păcii) was an annual multiple stage bicycl ...
, 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.[Delfi.ee](_blank)
In Estonian
Results
Baltic Tour
Baltic Chain Tour
References
External links
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{{Inter-Baltic competitions
Cycle races in Lithuania
Cycle races in Latvia
Cycle races in Estonia
Recurring sporting events established in 2011
2011 establishments in Lithuania
2011 establishments in Estonia
2011 establishments in Latvia
International cycle races hosted by Estonia
Summer events in Estonia
Summer events in Latvia
Summer events in Lithuania
Sport in the Baltic states