An excellent chance for “New Vinokurovs” to step in – UCI technical delegate on the Tour of Almaty

Union Cycliste Internationale commends organisation of Almaty race, expert says.

Union Cycliste Internationale commended vigorous organisation of the Tour of Almaty,  professional race to be held this weekend in the Southern Capital. Pierre Hutsebaut, UCI technical delegate talked to the journalists.

- I could say that organisation of the Tour of Almaty meets exigent standards, so we are confident that the race is going be a success. A year ago the Tour of Almaty was promoted to a multi-day race and this year it will be held in two stages, too. Despite overlap with the World Championships in Austria, we have 15 foreign teams to ride in the Tour of Almaty. As good news, Kazakhstan will be represented by four teams in this race - Astana Pro Team, Vino Astana Motors, Apple Team and the national team. I would like to assure that Union Cycliste Internationale is interested in progression of the Tour of Almaty.

- What makes the Tour of Almaty differ from other international races?

- First of all, I would like to acknowledge contribution by Astana Pro Team, which stays in the top of world racing in recent years. This team instantly comes to mind when talking about Kazakhstan. Geographic location and climate make Almaty a perfect location to host professional multiday races. Having a race under the auspices of UCI demonstrates our respect and recognition of extensive efforts and accomplishments of Kazakhstan in promotion of cycling in the country.

- Is it possible for the Tour of Almaty to grow into three, five or maybe even more stages?

- It requires experience and participation of a large number of Grand Tour teams for the race to raise and add more stages. It might be feasible to reconsider the dates of the race. As you could see, due to an overlap with the World Championships the Tour of Almaty will miss the strongest Kazakhstan’s racer Alexey Lutsenko. Needless to say that promotion of this race should be continued as the tour of Almaty is a branding project which will surely trigger the developments in sport and tourism in Kazakhstan.

- How do you see young Kazakhstan’s racers? Are any of them capable of becoming “New Vinokurov”?

- Very good question. I follow performance of Kazakhstan’s cyclists and their progress is evident in their wins in international competitions. But the best answer to this question would be “Let us wait till Saturday”, - because the Tour of Almaty is an excellent opportunity for Kazakhstan’s riders to show what they are worth of.  I am confident that the country that gave the world such an outstanding racer as Alexander Vinokurov, has a whole lot of capable athletes. Conditions are put in place, role model is here and athletes are keen to follow his steps. This is a huge motivation for any young rider.

As a reminder, today on September 27, the final press conference was held in Almaty. Organizers and participants spoke of their preparedness for the Tour of Almaty-2018. Visit this link for more information.