Greetings from Tartu2024 cycling team! We've just returned from our 19-day trip to Rwanda, where we embarked on a rigorous altitude training camp and 8-day long 15th tour of Rwanda. The elevated terrain of Rwanda provided an excellent opportunity for our riders to experience the benefits of extended period at altitude, which we believe will give them an edge in upcoming European races. Unfortunately, our team faced some challenges during the first stages of the Tour of Rwanda. Despite our hopes for a strong sprinting performance, we were unable to ride as a cohesive unit, support Markus Pajur as our designated sprinter. As a result, we didn't achieve the results we had hoped for on the first stage. Markus finished 12th and rest of the guys in top 25. Already on 2nd stage Joonas Kurits was forced to withdraw due to knee issues. Markus Knaapi, our Finnish climber, was also unable to achieve his full potential after a bad crash on the third stage. He did not take start on 5th stage because he did not heal enough to continue the race. Despite these challenges, we remained focused on our goal to finish the race and gain valuable experience and racing kilometers. Alekss, Markus, and Siim managed to complete the race, with Alekss finishing particularly strong with a top 20 finish on the demanding final stage. While the results may not have been what we had hoped for, we still view this trip as a success in terms of preparation for upcoming European races. Overall, our time in Rwanda was an excellent opportunity to bond as a team and learn valuable lessons that we will carry forward. We're excited to continue working hard and pushing ourselves to new heights in the upcoming season. Thank you for your continued support!
Our trip in pictures:
