Mayor’s Cup caps two weeks of Moscow cycling

A torrential downpour just before the start of the race didn't help the competitors, as they set out on the 153-km course. The weather started to clear up as the riders got into their stride but it had already taken its toll on the pre-race favourites.

The defending Mayor’s Cup champion Denis Galimzyanov was forced to retire, as was his main rival for the title, Aleksandr Mironov.

“I started off too quickly and began to tire badly. I thought it would be a bit easier today, but I miscalculated,” Galimzyanov said after he pulled out.

With the finishing line in sight, a group of around 20 were in contention, but in the end it was Timofei Kritsky who came home first.

“There was a bit of a pile-up midway through the race, but fortunately I was just able to avoid this,” said Kritsky. “I didn't really notice it at the time - only when my team-mates told me about it later.”

Ukrainian cyclist Anatonly Yugov had to be content with second place, while Evgeny Reshetko finished third.

Timofei Kritsky’s win crowned a sustained victory for Team Katusha, which came first in almost every race of the events.

One man who knows the course better than most is Gaynan Saydkhyzhin, who competed in the event numerous times during the 1960s.

A ten-time Soviet Champion, the former star says there's still work to be done to improve the sport’s popularity in Russia. “Russians tend to be more interested in football, hockey and tennis, rather than cycling. The culture of cycling doesn’t exist here, like it does in France or Italy for instance, but we can work on that!”

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