The only professional cycling team in Lithuania, Energus, is beginning a new chapter. Stepping up to lead the team is Ignatas Konovalovas, a Giro d’Italia stage winner and one of the most decorated Lithuanian cyclists, who recently retired from his professional athlete career. As the team’s executive director, he promises to leverage his international experience to strengthen the Energus team’s operations and develop the country’s cycling ecosystem.

I. Konovalovas, a former professional who has raced in top-level WorldTour teams, states that he will now focus all his knowledge, experience, and energy on the primary goal of the Energus cycling team – to shape and strengthen the cycling ecosystem in Lithuania.

“I come with immense enthusiasm and a sense that together with Energus, we can truly achieve a lot. The team’s vision and ambition have impressed me – we have a clear five-year strategy, and implementing it would lead to a unique change in Lithuanian cycling. I’m motivated by the fact that with this team, which currently involves about 20 people, we can achieve clear and tangible results,” says the new executive director.

Businessman and team founder Povilas Šidlauskas commented on this step, saying, “The laws of business and sports are the same – to achieve high results, you first need to assemble a strong, motivated, and reliable management team. Early this season, I saw that it was time to invite a serious leader to the team. I am very pleased that such a high-caliber leader has joined our ambitious team. I believe Ignatas’s professional experience, integrity, and strong desire to contribute will elevate our team’s results to a new level.”

Breakthrough – Possible

According to I. Konovalovas, the popularity of cycling is rapidly growing today, as evidenced by the increasing number of enthusiasts. However, every part is essential in creating a sports ecosystem, with professional athletes always at the top.

“I have represented teams at different levels – WorldTour, ProConti, and continental – and throughout my career, I have clearly seen that it is possible to achieve breakthroughs even with smaller budgets. When I hear that we don’t have talents, I disagree. As my father, a long-time coach who has nurtured several cycling talents, used to say – once you discover at least one young person born to be a cyclist, with focused training, you can cultivate a world champion within three years. His words ring true, and I believe in them. The biggest challenge currently is funding – if more people and organizations believe in us, we can start moving forward,” says Ignatas.

Ignatas’s top priority is to attract at least one strong athlete from Europe to the Energus cycling team, someone from whom the youth can learn and who can set an example in achieving high results. Other objectives include forming an ambitious sports calendar, achieving financial breakthroughs for the team, and strengthening partnerships.

Rapid Expansion

The Energus team welcomes the 2025 season with 11 promising cyclists from Lithuania and Latvia, with new bikes provided, an updated vehicle fleet, and the establishment of a team sports base. In the same year, the team opened a modern “Energus” talent academy in Vilnius, Pilaitė, which has no analog in the country and is rapidly expanding its activities.

“Currently, 50 children are training in our academy, supervised by two coaches, with interest growing every week. Our goal is to form 2–3 new children’s groups by early next year and add an additional coach to our team. We have been operating for less than a year, but as demand grows, we are already doubling the sports base area from 150 to 320 square meters. This will create even better conditions for young athletes, expand technical space for bicycle storage and mechanics’ work areas. Our vision is to become a multifunctional space for children, athletes, and the entire cycling community,” shared Povilas Šidlauskas about the academy’s plans.

About the Energus Cycling Team

The Energus cycling team is the first professional UCI cycling team in Lithuania, launched in 2024. The team’s goal is to provide development opportunities for promising athletes and contribute to strengthening Lithuania’s cycling ecosystem. The team has been granted a UCI – International Cycling Union – license, enabling athletes to participate in international UCI competitions. The team currently consists of 11 professional cyclists from Lithuania and Latvia.