Schoolchild of Kazakhstan 2014, the 45th international multi-day bicycle race that started Aug. 4 in the East Kazakhstan region, was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of domestic cycling and supported by the national newspaper, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda.
For eight days, 120 young bicycle racers, including athletes from Uzbekistan, overcame various distances on the mountain slopes. Shortly before the start of the marathon, the Astana Pro Team won the Tour de France, which affected the mood of the competitors who were contending for the 15th time in a row.
“The East Kazakhstan slopes presented a variety of profiles, so they are ideal for the bike races. And every year the stages of the competition become more complex,” said Alexander Antyshev, permanent director of cycling for Schoolchild of Kazakhstan.
At various times, Olympic champion Alexander Vinokourov and such famous athletes as Andrei Kivilev, Andrey Kashechkin, Marat Satybaldiyev, Sergei Navolokin, Nikolay Markov, Igor Potenko and others participated in the small bicycle academy. The executive director of the National Cycling Federation Dmitry Muraviyev, who was recently appointed to the position, climbed the pedestal three times to honor the most famous and prestigious cycling in the world.
Muraviyev is from Ust-Kamenogorsk, and according to him, he was happy to come to his hometown where he started his sports career. The main purpose of the famous cyclist’s arrival was not only participation in the closing ceremony of the race.
“The credit, of course, goes to the regional akimat (administration) and, of course, the head of the region Berdybek Saparbayev who does a lot for the promotion of sports in the east of the country. In particular, it was he who initiated the cycling Tour d’Oskemen scheduled for mid-September of this year. We expect a lot from these events and hope they strengthen the image of our country in the eyes of the world community,” Muraviyev said.
Sergey Garkushenko, the representative of the national scientific and practical centre of physical education of the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science, noted that the annual competitions of young riders have been held under the auspices of the centre of physical education since 2002. According to him, the current cycling race is different in that there was not a single complain by the participants.
Sergey Bredikhin, national judge and USSR Master of Sports, is sure that the commemorative cycling will be decisive for many of its participants. And, of course, the future world champions are among its winners.
Winner of the second stage of the race Vadim Pronsky took the leader’s yellow jersey with him. The student from the Astana 2 team repeatedly got on the podium, as his results were the best in all seven stages of the marathon. He also got the special prize Schoolchild of Kazakhstan 2014 established by Kazakhstanskaya Pravda. The champion of the sixth stage Eugeny Gidich from the Akmola region won the mountain racer nomination. Maxim Satlikov, of Astana, won the active racer nomination.
