Kļumele takes second overall at prestigious Assen youth cycling tour

Latvian youth road cyclists have competed in the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen in the Netherlands. This year marked the 59th edition of the event, which brought together hundreds of young riders from more than 20 countries. Over five days, participants had to take part in a criterium, an individual time trial and three group races.

The Latvian squad included Šarlote Kļumele from Rīga Cycling School, Viktorija Ļaudama from KNSS/Goldingen Cycling, Alekss Kristians Dardets, Emīls Lācis, and Nikolas Tuhtijevs, who lives in Spain but competed under the Latvian flag. The team's main goal was to gain international racing experience, develop teamwork and test themselves at this level.

Kļumele raced in a category with boys one year younger and performed consistently in every stage. She took third place in Wednesday's hilly stage and fourth in Thursday's individual time trial. Before the final day she was third overall, but a stable ride in the last group race moved her up one place to second.

Ļaudama showed a fighter's spirit despite a leg injury and a technical problem on the first stage. She gained invaluable experience and significantly improved her skills while bravely competing against both her peers and older girls.

Dardets did not win a medal this time, but he set new personal records and collected important international experience, finishing 34th in the U17 (2011) boys overall classification. Lācis, competing in the same category as Kļumele, endured more than 34-degree heat and a crash to finish 45th. Tuhtijevs, meanwhile, claimed a high second place in the U15 group sprinters category.