Cycling is one of the most successful sports in Kazakhstan, and if until recently it has been more of a road cycling, for the last 5 years our athletes have shown good results on the track. The impetus for the revival in the country of cycling on the track was the appearance of the first indoor cycling track in the country, built in 2011 in Astana. More and more young riders decide to tie their sports career with this direction, which is quite natural - cycling on the track is distinguished by a significant variety of disciplines. For example, the program of the Olympic Games for cycling on the track is represented by more than 10 kinds of races. Last year, the national team of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cycling on the track at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro spoke for the first time after a 12-year break. Then the Kazakhstani Artem Zakharov managed to get a license to participate in the Olympics in the Omniium race and enter the top 10 by its results. Also, Kazakhstan's "trekkas" are considered to be one of the leaders of the Asian continent in tempo disciplines.This year in Kazakhstan, the development received sprint disciplines, and the "sprinters" of the national team had a new coach - Valentin Savitsky. Valentin Savitsky is a Russian cyclist, winner of the 2009 European Cup stage, in the same year 2009 he finished fourth in the World Cup, and in 2013 he set a Russian record in the 200-meter gita and the world's highest achievement in keirin at the last 200 meters.In an interview with Zakon.kz Valentin Savitsky told us what the peculiarity of the sprint is, what successes have been achieved by Kazakhstani sprinters this year and what plans the future have for the national team in this direction.- Please tell us about sprint disciplines: what is a sprint, and how does it differ from tempo disciplines?- First, you need to understand that a sprint in the world of cycling is generally a separate discipline. In fact, a sprint with a "pace" is only one common feature - it's two round wheels at the bike. The mentality of the sprinter driver is completely different. The character is completely different. The sprinter's body is quite different. Physiology is completely different. All this is due to the time of the struggle at the distance. The longest distance in the sprint lasts about 1 minute, and the duration of the main struggle in the sprinter takes place within 10-20 seconds, during this time a high-quality athlete can develop power to 2500-3000 watts. At the "pace" the race time can reach about 1 hour. On the highway generally the race time can reach more than 7 hours.Sprint in the world of cycling is single combat, as there is a lot of psychological struggle that begins long before the release on the canvas. In warm-up, in looks, in their behavior, these are very subtle moments that only professionals understand. I would compare this with martial arts, because in martial arts it is exactly the same. Views, psychological struggle, mutual respect.
- You said that sprinters are physiologically different from other riders. How is it shown?- The main difference between a sprinter is the ability to give the best in a very short period. Sprinters have a completely different muscle structure, it is capable of issuing everything in a time interval of 30 seconds. Shosseinik, for example, can not do this. For 30 seconds, he does not even understand what happened, in 30 seconds he will not be able to open his body so, he can not so "shake" his nervous system. Therefore, the road and tempo players do not understand why the sprinters lie and die after a 30-second run. To understand this, you need to be a sprinter. Such abilities at the sprinter should be initially, at the genetic level. During the training process, these abilities are revealed, "swinging". At high-class sprinters the mobility of the nervous system is so high that after each arrival they drive their own resources into debt.During the training, the focus is on the muscles, not the heart. Training is higher in power and shorter. In the training program there is work in the gym. For example, a sprinter makes a foot press with a weight of up to 800 kg. Training for long distances is of a restorative nature.
- There is an opinion that the sprinters differ in their large physique. Is it true?- Previously it really was among the sprinters being very large, very massive. But if we talk about modern trends, today this rule does not work. Now there are sprinters of different physiques, among them there are not very massive.
- How does the sprint differ in terms of technical equipment? What bicycles are used by sprinters?

- They differ. It can not be said that in principle. The rules governing the characteristics of sprint bicycles according to the International Union of Cyclists (UCI), differ from tempo and, moreover, highway. This is a higher requirement for the rigidity and strength of the frame. Sprint frame more rigid, heavier, more "keen" itself on the track leads and more compact and more sensitive. A sprint bike does not forgive mistakes. If a tempovik sits on a sprint bike, he will immediately feel this difference. Purely visually the same difference.


- How is the situation with the sprint in Kazakhstan now?- The sprint in Kazakhstan is at the stage of origin. Everything should go gradually. The development of cycling on the track began with a "pace" and over the last couple of years the country has been able to achieve certain successes in "pace." Now it was the sprint's turn. And it takes time. The main thing now is that the athletes and coaches realized that the sprint in Kazakhstan will develop, and that the racers will strive to. And there is not only the highway, not only the "pace", but there is also a sprint. Then the coaches will also identify racers' abilities for sprint disciplines, now there is where to guide the guys. Such selection will be conducted - it will be possible to find good racers and achieve results. And to this day as such, there has not been a selection among riders for the ability to sprint.As shown by the National cycling championships on the track held in Astana in early October, the results among sprinters are not as unipolar as in previous years. Now a certain cohort of athletes has already matured, who can compete in this sprint competition.In the team of the national team on the track among the sprinters, the competitive environment has noticeably increased. Previously, there was no such competition. In Kazakhstan there are only five sprinters in the age category "elite", which are focused on high and ambitious goals. These are Pavel Vorzhev, Zaki Sultanov, Sergei Ponomarev, Maxim Naletov and Cyril Ruder.
- When can we expect the first results from our athletes at international competitions? And what are the goals for the Kazakhstani sprint in the near future?- The results are already there. Kazakhstani cyclists returned from the Asian Games in Ashgabat with 6 medals, 4 of which were won in sprint disciplines. In the team sprint Vorzhev, Sultanov and Ponomarev took the second place, in individual sprint Vorzhev won gold, and Ponomarev bronze, in Keirin won again Vorzhev.I think that the sprint in Kazakhstan has a great potential. There are three years to earn licenses before the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The next year's task is a medal in the Asian Games in Indonesia. If you thoroughly take on the juniors, then there are all chances for a medal at the next world championships among juniors.Opponents already know that there is a sprint in Kazakhstan, that there are racers in Kazakhstan, which it is difficult to fight with and which can give a worthy fight.If earlier Kazakhstan sprinters in the world ranking were somewhere very deep, behind the 150th position, now we are getting out of this hole. At the moment we have a quota for the World Cups in Keirin and a backup place in the sprint, which indicates that we are already entering the top 40 world ranking.- Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into the sport, in particular sprinting, and became the coach of the Kazakhstan national team?- I came to the sport quite late - at 17 years old. I'm from Omsk, and in this region the sprint is not developed, therefore, already being a young athlete, I often had to solve the problems with my own efforts, so I had to take the training process into my own hands. You can say that he trained himself. During this time I learned a lot of things related to sprinting. It so happened that in 2014 - at that time I myself was an athlete - I began to train Pavel Vorzhev. He came to Omsk and trained under my leadership. A year later, another Kazakhstani driver Zaki Sultanov joined, by that time I had already left the sport.

Source: Zakon.kz