The 45th edition of the legendary Tartu Rattaralli delivered a thrilling day of racing today, with Estonia and Lithuania celebrating victories in the 135 km qualifier event.
Held in and around the city of Tartu, the UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifier once again brought together thousands of riders on the fast and rolling roads of southern Estonia.
Tamm crowns bold late attack
In the men’s 135 km race, Lauri Tamm (EST) grabbed the victory after an attacking ride in the final phase of the race.
After a fast-paced day marked by a large peloton of around 100 riders, Tamm launched a decisive move in the closing kilometres. Managing to break clear from the reduced bunch, he held off the chasing group to cross the line solo in 2:45:47, securing an emotional win on home soil.
Behind him, the race for the remaining podium places was settled in a sprint from a chasing group. Oskar Nisu (EST) delighted the home crowd by taking second place, edging out Denmark’s Asger Rojbek Sørensen, who completed the podium.
Gedraitytė dominates women’s race
The women’s race over the same course saw an equally impressive solo performance from Lithuanian rider Akvilė Gedraitytė.
Gedraitytė proved to be the strongest rider of the day, breaking away from her rivals and riding to a clear solo victory. She crossed the finish line with a 33-second advantage over Estonia’s Kristel Sandra Soonik, who secured second place.
A further 26 minutes and 47 seconds later, Kristi Kuldepp (EST) completed the overall podium in third position, while also taking victory in the women’s 35–39 age category.
A festival of cycling in Tartu
The Tartu Rattaralli remains one of Europe’s most established and oldest mass participation cycling events, with a history dating back over four decades. As part of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, the 135 km distance serves as a key qualifying event for the World Championships, attracting a strong international field.
