First the bad news: the finishing straight is a lumpy seven miles long and it’s almost entirely uphill. The first four miles are also uphill so there’s the stage profile in a nutshell. The good news however is that miles eight to fifteen are a bit of a thrash.
It’s a stage that tacks north until just before halfway, then as it approaches the kite at the foot of the steepest part of the descent, it starts to bend right and keeps going that way, so much so that by the end of the stage, it’s heading properly north east straight for the Latvian border, albeit that that’s still another three stages away.
The rollout from the eastern shore of Lake Virintai north of Ciulenai keeps heading north, passing by Geciai after a mile, Kazarieza at two miles, Suginciai at three miles, Ezerys at five miles and Mazeikiai at six miles: Mazeikiai marks the start of the climb to the highest point on the stage, although the finishing line runs it very close.
The journey north continues past Budreikeles, Meldiniai and Bulinskiai, and it’s there, at eight miles, that route A14 starts nudging right and north/north east. Strazdakalnis is at the start of the descent on nine miles before the road passes by Deguliai a mile later. Azuolija, is next at eleven miles, adjacent to Lake Kigys, and that’s followed by Liaumuskos at twelve miles and Gediminas a mile after that.
The road then passes by Joneliskes at thirteen miles before hanging a right onto route A6 and rolling into Utena on fourteen miles. Utena’s actually a big enough place to warrant a road sign on RGT, believe it or not! The A6 piles straight through the town centre where the afrorementioned long straight – and the climb – begins as the road leave town. A short causeway crosses Lake Utenos at eighteen miles before the road goes through Valkutenal on twenty miles, just a couple of miles before the finish at Radeikiai.
Distance: 22 miles / 35 kilometres
Ascent: 659 feet / 201 metres
RGT Magic Road: XoN7VH7RmyrP
Max elevation: 1066 ft
Min elevation: 790 ft
Total climbing: 657 ft
Total descent: -504 ft
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