Vēvers wins intermediate sprint but crashes in Radjungendtour stage 1; Judins finishes 18th
At the U17 stage race Radjungendtour in Austria, Latvia's Edvards Vēvers won the mountain intermediate sprint on stage one but then crashed and injured his ankle. Roberts Judins was Latvia's best finisher, placing 18th.
The Radjungendtour, a prestigious multi-day road cycling race for the U17 category, continued on Thursday in Austria with its first full stage, following Wednesday's prologue. Latvia's national team riders are among the competitors. The 77.2-kilometer stage featured two notably long and steep climbs.
Vēvers takes the sprint, then falls
In the middle of the route, at a designated mountain intermediate sprint point, Latvian rider Edvards Vēvers claimed victory, earning bonus seconds toward the general classification. However, shortly afterward he suffered a crash that injured his ankle. Despite the setback, Vēvers showed determination and managed to rejoin the main group of riders (peloton) before the finish.
Judins narrowly misses top positions
Heading into the final sprint, Latvia's hopes rested on Roberts Judins, a sprinter who had survived the climbs within the lead group. He held a strong position for the sprint but nearly collided with a rider who had just been caught after a breakaway attempt, causing him to lose both position and momentum. Judins ultimately crossed the line in 18th place, three seconds behind stage winner Jakub Zaneski of Slovakia.
Other Latvian riders finished as follows: Olivers Šika in 41st, Ralfs Zaļeskis in 49th, Edvards Vēvers in 81st, and Gustavs Patriks Cīrulis in 109th — all recorded with the same time gap of three seconds behind the winner. Rihards Bondars finished 119th, more than six minutes behind. A total of 143 cyclists completed the stage.
In the overall standings, after accounting for bonus seconds, Vēvers now sits in 17th place, 23 seconds behind the leader. Zaļeskis holds 20th place overall, while Šika is 40th. The race continues on Friday with a third stage set in a hilly, climb-heavy area.
