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Miks Lieltirums wins 1580 Ceribian Tour
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Nueva 25, 1580


Miks Lieltirums


Makvari, Ceribia - Seļi climber Miks Lieltirums (Keszariakom Cycling) won yesterday the 1580 Ceribian Tour. The last stage, a high mountain stage ending in Mtis Tamtri was won by Goldecian Rory McLucais (Razzies-SaveMart). Lieltirums had a more calmed than expected stage, resisting the attacks of his main rival, the Ceribian climber Kakha Arsenidze (Chikhura-KDK). Lieltirums only lost five seconds to Arsenidze.

The 33-year climber became the unexpected winner, became the first cyclist from Videjszeme to win the Ceribian Tour, and the second to win a Grand Tour (after Pavel Bezbiksis, who won the Tour de Valland in 1577). Lieltirums won the leading jearsey since stage 13th, when he obtained an impressive victory in one of the main individual stages. After he suffered in the next stage, when he lost almost two minutes to Sainamese climber Asai Satoshi (Nitenryu Cycling), he surprisingly recovered and won the next stage in another exhibition. Although he lost about two minutes in the ITT stage and the following medium-mountain stage, Lieltirums' lead was large enough to resist comfortably the attack of his rivals.

Kakha Arsenidze ended second, two minutes and thirty-five seconds behind Lieltirums, the best result for a Ceribian rider since 1572, when Arsenidze's teammate Zurab Avakidze won the Ceribian Tour. Asai Satoshi (Nitenryu Cycling) ended third, six minutes and twenty-four seconds behind Lieltirums, the best result for a Sainamese cyclist in a Grand Tour.

None of the main contenders -Tour de Valland winner Stavros Michelakakis, Nylander Elton Isaksson, Adwestene Marc Menethil, or 1579 winner Wenceslao Cánovas- were able to be combative enough, only Menethil achieving a position in the top ten after an improving third week. Lieltirums' win is the last for so-called Videjszeme's "Golden Generation", which includes Tour de Valland-winner Pavel Bezbiksis, climber Kurts Kozlovskis, and sprinter Tomass Kukulmuznieks (Bagdati Team) who won two individual stages as well this Ceribian Tour. However, Seļi fans are worried about the lack of competitive cyclist of young age in late years.

Lieltirums also won the Mountain classification, and his team won the General classification, a huge success for a team created only three years ago, becoming the first Keszarian team to win a team classification in a Grand Tour.

The Points classification was won by Florinthian sprinter Richard Malone (Dido-Dreher Cycling), who won four individual stages - which complete a great season for the Florinthian sprinter and his new team, as he won another four stages a few months ago in the Tour de Valland.