Kazakh para cyclists pocket gold at Asian championships

Images | ©SprintCycling

It was a very tough day due to bad weather. We raced under the rain the entire stage, and it was extremely cold. The final part of the race was quite tense, and I had to stay at the front the whole time. Our leader, Diego Ulissi, lost some ground today, but I managed to finish third. There are still two tough stages ahead, so we will see what we can do. I would love to fight for a stage win, and we will also try to improve our position in the General Classification", said Simone Velasco.

Images | Instagram/tokayev_online

I congratulate Nazym Kyzaibay - the first three-time world champion in the history of Kazakhstan’s boxing. This is a unique achievement. I want to thank the entire national team for a brilliant performance at the world championship in Serbia! I wish our girls to reach new heights in sport!" the Head of State posted on Instagram.

Images | ©SprintCycling

We focused on the stage finale and aimed to fight for the victory. Throughout the day, the team supported me and Harold, allowing us to be well-positioned for the final climb. I gave it my all in the last meters, felt good, and finished second, while Harold took fourth place. I think we showed a strong performance, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming stages", said Clément Champoussin.

The team's plan today was for Clément and me to save energy for the final climb. I want to thank my teammates for their support, as they helped us all day long. The day went well, and we were able to fight on the final climb, finishing second and fourth. I think it's a good result. Now, we focus on the following stages ahead", said Harold Tejada.

Images | Nassos Triantafyllou / cyclingphotos.gr

It was a very fast race. The route and today's strong wind made the race very tough. During the crosswind section, we followed all the attacks, and at one point, Gustav (Wang) and I found ourselves in a break. After a few kilometers, some guys started attacking in the break and we just kept following them. In the final, I followed an attack from a rider from the team that won the race. After that moment, we were only three at the front, and we kept pushing until the finish. I lost in the sprint against him, maybe I should have started my sprint first, but that's how it is. I will try again next time.I can’t finish this message without thinking of Alex (Vinokurov jr.), who crashed during training this week. This second place is for him. And thanks to the whole team, we had a really good day," said Pierre-Henry Basset.

We were planning to achieve victory today, however, the race situation was quite chaotic. We needed to adjust our race plan because after the climb on the first part of the route, it was clear that we would not make it to a bunch sprint today with our sprinters. There were plenty of attacks and strong headwind which changed everything, so we played it differently. I am glad about Basset's first podium for our team and the way he and Gustav raced today," added the team Sports Director Alexander Shushemoin.