Open Azerbaijan Championship held

6 July 2015 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

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By Amina Nazarli

The Open Azerbaijan Championship was held in Baku’s Khojahasan Mountain Bike velopark on July 4.

The event brought together representatives of several clubs operating under the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation alongside amateur cyclists,

Event rules dictated that teenage and young cyclists would do three laps on a two km route, while adult cyclists did a total of six laps.

As a result, Vugar Nasibov took first place among the 15-17 year old athletes. David Proherkus and Yusif Abdullayev came in second and third respectively.

In the elite U-23 competition, Agshin Ismayilov took first place, while Orkhan Mammadov earned second and Musa Mikayilzade placed third.

The winners were awarded diplomas, money, prizes, and other valuable gifts.

The first professional cycling competition was held in Azerbaijan in May 2012, with 17 teams from 15 countries participating.

The Tour d'Azerbaidjan is an exciting cycling competition, which has been held in the country since 2013. This year, the competition hosted some 23 teams from around the world.

Azerbaijan’s choice to host the annual cycling competition attests to the rising domestic interest in sports.

The lack of cycling tracks and cycling sport infrastructure had been obstacles in the way of a speedy development for these sports in Baku, but the state has taken more measures to develop cycling. A bike park was recently opened in the city.

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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