Estonian sprinter Rait Ärm (Tartu2024/BCC) mooves to the French development team Groupama FDJ with the aim to progress and earn a contract in the World Tour squad.
Rait finished 3rd last year in the European U23 RR Championships at the age of 19. He confirmed his sprinting skills this year winning a stage in the Baltic Chain Tour and climbing to the podiums lowest step during the only U23 nations cup race Orlens GP.
Rait arrived to road cycling few years ago and he was soon spotted by Jaan Kirsipuu, who took care of the Estonian national juniors team. After few good international race days in the legs with juniors he mooved to Cycling Tartu for 2019 and he helped their leader Norman Vahtra (now in Israel Start Up Nation) in the sprints. "Third place in the Europeans was a surprise for many, but not for Jaan and me, we saw a certain quality in Rait straight away. We are really proud that Rait is this season the second (Markus Pajur mooved to Arkea-Samsic) 20 y old rider from Cycling Tartu finding a foreign professional team. Our goal is to help the young Baltic riders to achieve the level needed to enter a foreign professional team," explained Tartu2024/BCC's manager Rene Mandri.
Rait Ärm