This week, 29 riders of the team will participate in the races for the national titles and this in eleven different countries. The time trial events are held from Tuesday to Friday, with the road races taking place from Friday to Sunday.
Last year, Rein Taaramäe made history for the team by becoming the first national champion. The five times national time trial champion will defend his title on Wednesday on a parcours of 35 kilometer, divided in two laps in Kuremaa. Four days later he will line up in Kuldige (Latvia) for the road race together with the other Baltic countries. On the relatively flat course of 162 kilometer, he will be accompanied by his future teammate Madis Mihkels (19), who will also compete for the U23 title in the time trial.
« My wife Hanna and I dream about becoming Estonian time trial champions on the same day! This is why we spent a lot of time on the time trial bikes together after the Giro. We participated in local time trials and we did the cours recon 50 kilometer from our home. I tried to recover well from the Giro and to maintain my good condition at the same time. It won't be easy to extend my title, because my eternal Estonian rival Tanel Kangert will be at the start and a group of young talents is progressing each year. Madis Mihkels is one of them, these championships are a nice opportunity for him to show what he's got. The time trial and the road race are both ridden on flat courses. In the time trial I'm more efficient on flat roads, despite my climbing capabilities. I also won national titles in flat road races. Several titels will be awarded at the end of this race and there will be riders of different levels, which sometimes makes it possible to benefit from chaotic situations. »
22/06 Tijdrit: Madis Mihkels, Rein Taaramäe
26/06 Wegrit: Madis Mihkels, Rein Taaramäe
