Logins and Klismete win Vienības velobrauciens in Sigulda as rider's death casts shadow
The 36th Vienības velobrauciens cycling event took place near Sigulda on Sunday, with Arvīds Logins and Laura Klismete taking the main road race victories. The event was overshadowed by the death of a participant on the course.
The traditional Vienības velobrauciens cycling event took place around Sigulda on Sunday for the 36th time. Arvīds Logins won the 95 km road race, and Laura Klismete was the fastest woman, but the day was marred by a rider collapsing and dying on the course.
Road race results
Logins covered 95 km in 2 hours 12 minutes and 41.1 seconds, also winning the U-18 category. He finished 12.8 seconds ahead of Kristers Kovgeris, while Jēkabs Zujevs was third, 18.7 seconds behind.
Klismete, another U-18 rider, completed the course in 2:21:21.5, which gave her 42nd place overall. Ieva Jurēviča finished second, 20.4 seconds behind, and Renāte Rodionova took third, 13 minutes and 17.5 seconds down on the winner.
Mountain bike, gravel and people's distance
Kristers Celitāns won the 58 km mountain bike event in 1:53:32.7, ahead of Oskars Muižnieks (+51.4 seconds) and Everts Meijers (+1:02.5). Helēna Mūrniece claimed the women's mountain bike title in 2:14:49.4, followed by Krista Pucite (+4:59.1) and Laura Ramane (+15:55.4).
In the 62 km gravel race, Mārtiņš Blūms took victory in 1:50:54.0, while Laura Dūma was fastest among women in 2:27:38.7. In the 47 km Tautas distance, Ralfs Zaļeskis won for men, and Lithuanian rider Elžbjeta Seļavaite won for women.
The Vienības velobrauciens was first held in 1936 and attracted 6,226 participants in 1939. The tradition was revived in 1995 after Latvia regained independence.
Rider's death
Race organiser Igo Japiņš told LETA that one participant felt unwell while riding uphill. Medics were on the spot immediately and did what they could, but their efforts were not enough. Japiņš said no medical examination has been carried out yet, so the cause of death cannot be determined at this stage, and organisers had no prior knowledge of the rider's possible health problems.
This is not the first tragedy connected to the Vienības velobrauciens. On 3 September 2023, a participant sustained serious injuries and died in hospital on 12 September; several other cyclists were also hurt in the crash, some seriously.
