Lauri Aus (4 November 1970 – 20 July 2003) was an Estonian professional cycle sport who represented his native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992.
Early life and career
Aus was born in
Tartu and grew up in the village of
Luua in Jõgeva County. His professional cycling career began in 1995 with the French cycling team Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne. After four wins in 1996, he was signed to Casino the following year alongside countryman
Jaan Kirsipuu. He remained with this team until his death, which was renamed the AG2R Citroën Team in 2000. Aus won a Tour du Limousin (1997), a Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle-Aquitaine (1998),
Classic Haribo (1998) and a Grand Prix d'Isbergues (1999). In 1999, he was fifth at Milan–San Remo. In 2000, he became Estonian road champion.
In 1992, 1996 and 2000, Aus represented his home country at the Summer Olympic Games. At the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, he finished fifth in the road race.
Death and legacy
On 20 July 2003, while cycling on the
Aovere-
Kallaste-
Omedu road in
Tartu County in preparation for a later race in
Karksi-Nuia, he was struck from behind by an
Opel Ascona. He died of his injuries en route to a hospital, aged thirty-two. He was buried at
Raadi cemetery in Tartu. The driver of the vehicle was determined to have been drunk and later sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment and a fine.
Since 2004, the Lauri Aus GP memorial cycling race is held annually at the Pirita-Kloostrimetsa race circuit, next to the Pirita Velodrome, in Tallinn in honour of Aus.
In July 2019, a memorial bench commemorating Aus was opened to the public in Aus' hometown of Luua, by Aus' parents, children, widow, first coach Kalev Raudsepp, and politician Aivar Kokk.
Major results
- 1989
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 1990
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 1992
- 1st Road race, National Road Championships
- 5th Road Race, Summer Olympics
- 8th Overall Tour of Sweden
- 1993
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1994
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1995
- 9th Grand Prix de Denain
- 1996
- 1st Time trial, National Road Championships
- 1st Stages 3 & 6 Ruban Granitier Breton
- 1st Stages 2 & 6 Tour du Poitou-Charentes
- 1997
- 1st Overall Tour de Limousin
- :1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de Pologne
- 2nd Cholet-Pays de Loire
- 3rd Grand Prix d'Isbergues
- 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
- 8th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
- 1998
- 1st Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
- :1st Stage 1
- 1st Classic Haribo
- National Road Championships
- :2nd Time trial
- :3rd Road race
- 2nd Overall Tour de l'Oise
- :1st Stage 1
- 3rd Boucles de Seine Saint-Denis
- 8th Brabantse Pijl
- 1999
- 1st Grand Prix d'Isbergues
- 3rd Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
- :1st Points classification
- 3rd Overall Tour de Limousin
- 5th Milan–San Remo
- 7th Overall Tour de Wallonie
- 2000
- National Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- :1st Time trial
- 2nd Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
- 2001
- 3rd Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
- :1st Stage 4
- 8th Overall Paris–Corrèze
- 2003
- National Road Championships
- :2nd Road race
- :2nd Time trial
- 3rd Overall Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen
- 3rd E.O.S. Tallinn GP
External links
-
http://www.cfc.ee/lauri-ausi-fond/lauri-aus
-
