Tour of Belarus road race championship kicks off in Brest

The men’s national open road race championship, Tour of Belarus, has begun in Brest on 10 August, BelTA has learned.

The competition runs from 10 to 15 August across the Brest and Grodno oblasts. It features a circuit race through the streets of Brest, long stages in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, an individual time trial and a final hilly stage finishing in the center of Slonim. “To win the overall classification, a rider needs to complete all six stages without losing ground and demonstrate versatility,” the organizers said.

Tour of Belarus chief referee Vladimir Muravsky stressed that the competition would be intense and fiercely contested. “The country’s strongest athletes are competing here, including members of the national team and winners of previous editions,” he said.

Around 40 cyclists are taking part in the race. They include two-time world champion and three-time Tour of Belarus winner Yauheni Karaliok, European U23 Championship medalist Dzianis Mazur and current multistage race champion Siarhei Shauchenka. “Also expected to make his mark is 19-year-old Belarusian road race champion Mikita Babovich. Among the favorites are also Brest rider Dzianis Marchuk, who impressed at the international HTV Cup in Vietnam, and national championship medalist Viachaslau Shpakouski, winner of the Five Rings of Moscow. Particular interest surrounds the participation of French cyclist Vincent Luis, a multiple medalist at UCI international races,” the organizers said.

“The competition is considered the national championship, which in itself makes it an important event. At present, this is the only multistage race in Belarus, making it unique. I want to defend my status as the national multistage race champion,” reigning champion Siarhei Shauchenka said.