Latvia’s second Cycling Festival held in grand style in Olaine
On Sunday, 21 August, the grand Latvia Cycling Festival was held in Olaine for the second consecutive year. The event recognised the most successful and entertaining professional cyclists and enthusiasts of the sport in various age groups, including families and children, not only from Latvia but also from the neighbouring countries of Lithuania and Estonia. Alongside the competitions, participants in the Cycling Festival enjoyed an extensive entertainment programme throughout the day, spending the sunny Sunday in a positively energising atmosphere.
The first competition, the 0.5–1 km Children’s Race, started at 9:30 a.m. and brought together nearly 200 of Latvia’s most active young cyclists aged up to 12. Shortly afterwards, at 10:30 a.m., the challenging 42 km MTB race got under way. The victory went to Arnis Pētersons of the “ZZK Cēsis” team, followed by Estonian cyclist Erki Putsep (Erki Pütsep), representing the “Redbike” team, and his teammate Mārtiņš Blūms. In the women’s category, the fastest rider was local cyclist Katrīna Jaunslaviete (“Ebike Machine”).
The 90 km Sport Road Race also featured fierce competition for a place on the podium, but the fastest across the finish line were representatives of the “Rietumu–Delfin” team, led by Andris Vosekalns, who won the honourable first place, while his teammates Emīls Liepiņš and Deins Kaņepājs took second and third place respectively. In the second half of the day, participants in the highly popular People’s Road Race gathered at the starting line, with Jānis Rubiks of the “Sportlife.lv” team emerging as the best. Finally, the unifying Family Race was held, with participants taking part in a colourful 6 km parade ride, demonstrating team unity and competing for valuable prizes in 12 different categories.
“Olaine is a city that is friendly to families and children, where residents are increasingly embracing an active lifestyle and gladly choosing cycling as a form of recreation. It is therefore only natural to organise larger and smaller events dedicated to this sport as well. We are pleased that the Latvia Cycling Festival in Olaine is one of those events where families can spend time together while engaging in active sports, and it is also an opportunity for serious athletes to demonstrate their abilities. We want the people of Olaine to take an active and enthusiastic part in this festival and continue to enjoy the pleasure of cycling in the years to come!” commented Andris Bergs, Chairman of the Olaine Municipality Council.
Alongside the cycling marathon, visitors were offered various exciting entertainment activities at the event venue throughout the day, including lively event hosts and a DJ, the Olainfarm positive-emotions photo booth, tastings, mobile trade stands and a range of other exciting attractions for both adults and children. Importantly, to ensure the well-being of the competitors, natural VENDEN mineral water was provided at several points along the route to quench their thirst, while the technical condition of the bicycles was carefully monitored by the FANS bicycle service.
