Azerbaijani cyclists ensure bright future for cycling sport
By Sara Rajabova
Union Cycliste Internationale's (UCI) Vice-President and Senior Adviser of the Russian Cycling Federation's Vice-President, Aleksander Gusyatnikov hailed Azerbaijani cyclists' performances in European Championship for U23.
He said the performances of Azerbaijani cyclists in the European Championship for U23 and juniors in Switzerland have grabbed the attention of UCI high delegates.
"We would like to inform once again that Azerbaijan's Elgun Alizade ranked 12th among 41 nations in junior category. Racing 130km distance among 190 athletes, Alizade crossed the finish line in the main bunch, where he just lost by 9 seconds to the Italian cyclists. This is the first biggest success achieved in the history of Azerbaijan after its independence," he noted.
Among U23 categories, Samir Jabrayilov and Tural Isgandarov ranked respectively 38th and 32nd. Despite his badly crash in the group race, Isgandarov managed to cross the finish line.
Gusyatnikov observed the performances of other European nations as well. During his interview with the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation's Press office, he mentioned the level of cycling in Europe which is thriving very rapidly.
"Your current result is much better than before. I think Alizade is the precious discovery of this championship for your country. The place, he has taken is the best result. Through his result and technique, I could see how the Azerbaijan's Cycling Federation has developed. Although his achievement was a surprise for most of the spectators, the experts praised his technique throughout the race," Gusyatnikov said.
The UCI's official also touched upon Jabrayilov and Isgandarov's results. He mentioned that if Isgandarov had not had the accident, his result could have been much better. Regarding Jabrayilov, he said he gave the chance to other hands while he was in a good position.
"Due to his steady pace, Jabrayilov stayed a long time in the main bunch. Unfortunately he missed out a chance to finish in the leading group, and just finished 38th among 169 riders," Gusyatnikov said.
He went on to note that Azerbaijani cyclists have been under the spotlight after their successful performances in the championship.
"Now it all lies in their hands. From now on, their responsibility doubles and they have to work hard. It is because they ensure a bright future for the cycling sport," Gusyatnikov said.