The race in Kupiškis is now well-established on the ETU Calendar and has become an early season “must” for many federation who recognise the benefit their athletes can get from some of the smaller events.  Located in the north-eastern part of Lithuania it is a small town with a big heart and a great welcome for athletes and visitors who have never before ventured to the area.

Before the race the athletes were shown the whole bike course as the local police closed the roads and gave them a motorcycle escort around the rolling course. The town is pretty and the bike course is technical with a good couple of climbs to break up the packs and make the ride more interesting.

The lake, usually frozen during the biting cold winter months goes through a transformation and for the summer months is a focal point for swimmers who enjoy the safe waters there.

With the sunshine working its magic once again this year, the water temperature rose to 23 C and so wetsuits were banned for the 750m swim.

It was a warm day, up in the 25C range but there was a wind that would make the swim a choppy one and which would test the athletes out on the bike and some of the exposed areas of the run.

The men started first.

The women followed shortly afterwards.

This is not a common format but it did see the two genders spread out well over the course and the schedule also allowed a series of other races to take place during the day and reduce the impact on the community.

As the men started it was of course the men who left the water first.

Estonia’s multi-talented Henry Räppo led them out with team-mate Kevin Vabaorg. Both had been at the ETU Development Camp in Rio Maior just before the Lisbon championships. 11 athletes left the water in the space of 14 seconds and it would be this group that would make the 20k bike course work for them. For Räppo T1 was a disaster as he struggled with his helmet but the adrenaline must have been pumping as he soon caught up the pack.

Amongst them was Kamil Dementka POL. He worked hard at the front of the pack.

As the laps went by the two Estonians worked together and managed to escape. This worked to the benefit of Denis Dudko BLR and Russia’s Vasia Krestianinov who then rode tactically. Hungary’s Attila Arany worked well and stayed close after having dropped the Polish athlete.

It looked, as they entered T2, as if the medals would be shared between the Estonians, Russia and Belarus but behind them Dementka was making up lost time with a superb run.

Räppo led after upping the pace and seeing Krestianinov drop back. Dudko looked as if he could hold the third place but behind him the amazing pace of Dementka was taking him closer and closer to the leaders. Arany got the better of Dudko but the Polish athlete as too strong for both and soon it was Estonia, Russia and Poland at the front of the race.

Räppo had done enough and gold was his. Krestianinov held on to silver and Dementka had a fantastic run to bring him to the podium and to take bronze.

Gold for Estonia, Silver for Russia and Bronze for Poland.

After the race, Räppo said, “I didn't expect to win this race which makes the victory even more satisfying. The race was pretty difficult from the start to finish. I had a very good swim but T1 wasn't that good because I couldn't attach my helmet and lost many seconds. On the bike I and my teammate Kevin Vabaorg tried to break away from the pack. We had one Belarussian and Russian in our pack who didn't work much and we had to do the whole work. On the running course I was able to break away from Krestyaninov about 500m after T2. I felt safe when I had about 1,5km to go and it was easy to keep up the good pace.”

For Krestianinov, “In Kupiškis I met several times with Henry and was aware of his plans for the bike. It is obvious that his coach had tasked him to break away from me on the bike and I realised that when I took the bottle to drink after the descent on the fourth lap. I saw both Estonians make a lightning break. Before the race it was clear that the whole team juniors would work on Henry because he is the undisputed leader in the country. I was drained. I couldn’t battle with the entire team of Estonia; probably because of the constant breaks I didn't have enough of those seventeen seconds to the leader. Well, there are many more races in the ETU European Cup and so I will take today’s race as a good learning experience.”

Dementka takes away from this race some very positive ideas, 'I am very happy with my results. It is amazing feeling to reach a first ETU podium. Owing to fast running I could feel glad with my result. The race didn’t start good for me. I lost a good position and dropped off the lead. I tried to catch the first guys but I didn’t make it. It ran out 20 meters to the first group. It was 5 laps on the bike. The first and second I rode alone. The second group caught me on the third lap. The rest of the race I rode in the peloton. We tried to bridge a gap between the first and the second group. I was 55 seconds down from the first guys on the beginning of the run and I tried to bridge the gap. Consequently I caught the guys out front. I felt very fast and full of energy on the run. Owing to first podium in my career I want to train more and much harder. I should improve my swimming in order to be in the first group. If I swam a bit faster I would win the competition. Running is my best part of Triathlon. Comparing Kupiškis 2015 and Kupiškis 2016 I am glad about my run result against other competitors and I am satisfied with my performance.'

The crowds were able to follow the athletes with all the action being shown on a big screen. A mobile TV editing team were present once again to capture all the excitement of the race.

For the women, they had the advantage of seeing the early part of the men’s swim and the effect the wind was having on the swimmers. It was Simona Šimůnková CZE who took command of the swim and had a comfortable lead as she entered T1. Behind her the athletes were much more spread out than in the men’s race.

Šimůnková was out on the bike on her own and well ahead of the others. Early plans of sharing the bike in the same way that GB’s Lucy Hall has done in the past were dashed as Lucíí Obermannová her teammate, had a bad day at the office out in the water and couldn’t quite get the position she wanted.

Instead Obermannová found herself chasing with Daniela Leitane LAT and a couple of others. Soon the power of the Latvian athlete was too much and she broke away in an attempt to catch the leader.

Phase One of “catch the leader” was initiated and as she entered T2 a shout from her coach told her that the leader was only some 10 seconds ahead.

Phase Two of “catch the leader” then kicked in and just as in the men’s race, there was pace behind the leader and a threat to the gold medal going to Šimůnková.

Leitane’s run pace was impressive and when we look now at the results we can see that 46 seconds quicker on the run was what took her through to first place. Obermannová came through to take bronze and delight her Federation.

Gold to Latvia, Silver and Bronze to Czech Republic.

After the race, Leitane, new to international racing, said, “I think swimming was the most difficult for me, because it was the first time when I swim 750 m distance in competitions. On the bike at first I worked with two girls (one from CZE and one from POL) then I realized that I could still ride better and so I pushed the pace and rode faster to get away from these girls. Then I saw the leader and realized that I can catch her. My coach shouted ‘that girl is 10 seconds faster’ and so I ran with all my power that I had left after swimming and biking.”

For Obermannová, “Well, I usually swim better, I expected a better swim with my Czech teammate together and then we were hoping to cycle together but it didn't happen like this. So she cycled alone and me with another two girls but one of them wasn't cooperating so we took turns just with the Latvian girl who broke away a little in the forth lap. But after all, I was quite satisfied with the bike, however I wanted to run a bit faster.”

Another great race from the Lithuanian Federation and delight for the medal winners and their Federations. There is a strength and depth in this region of Eastern Europe that extends beyond triathlon and goes into all-year competition with the Winter Triathlon season keeping them race fit in the dark months. Races in this region are value for money, on closed roads and always welcoming. Check out the calendar for next year when we post it. Come and visit the Baltic States.

Many thanks to Daniel Miroshnichenko RUS who was working there as a Technical Official and who provided the videos and some of the images. Thanks also to Vilnius Triathlon Association for their images. We are waiting for some pictures showing the women’s race. As soon as they arrive they will be added.