The history of Kazakhstani cycling is rich material for the patriotic education of youth. It stores the names of outstanding athletes, outstanding coaches, major organizers of the physical education and sports movement.

For a hundred years, Kazakhstani cycling has gone from the first gold medal of Sibagat Zabirov in Aktobe to the triumphant victory of Alexander Vinokurov at the London Olympics. History also preserves other achievements of Kazakhstani athletes both at the national and international levels.

In 1956, the Kazakh team took part for the first time in the program of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. According to the organizers, its opening was to coincide with the finish of the multi-day cycling race. The stand literally exploded with thousands of applause when Kazakh Grigory Portier was the first to burst into the Luzhniki stadium.

In 1961, at the Leningrad cycling track in a group race, Vladimir Zharkov became the first Kazakhstani to become the champion of the USSR. In 1963, at the III Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, Mikhail Kalinkin won a convincing victory in the 50 km individual road race. In 1966, Vladimir Zharkov, as part of the USSR national team, won the world cycling race on the roads of the GDR, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The glorious tradition was continued by Vladislav Kukharsky, Anatoly Stepanenko, Oleg Tusumkhanov, Vitaly Shtykhlin, Nina Likhanova (Karataeva), Viktor Prodan, Vadim Kravchenko, Daulet Sapazhanov, Vladimir Golushko, Talgat Kulbaev, thanks to whom cycling in Kazakhstan entered the world stage as part of the USSR national teams . There were good results and even victories in group and individual races both on the road and on the track. The names of our famous world champions Nikolai Makarov in the 4 km individual pursuit race in 1979 in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Sergei Navolokin in the 100 km team race in Altenrhein (Switzerland) in 1983, Igor Patenko in a similar discipline in 1990 in Japan, Marat Satybaldiev in a 150-lap group race in Lyon (France, 1989) and many others! Members of the youth and youth teams did not lag behind the experienced masters. At the Asian Games, Kazakhstani cyclists are considered one of the strongest.

But victories at the world’s prestigious cycling races and the first Olympic awards came with the name of the greatest athlete of the 20th century, Alexander Vinokurov, who glorified the republic with his numerous victories and became a symbol of the strength of the Kazakhstani spirit and sporting feat. In 2000, at the Olympic Games in Sydney (Australia), in the group race, he was the first Russian cyclist to win the silver podium. In 2003 he took third place in the Tour de France, and in 2006 he won the Vuelta a Espana. The first Olympic victory for Kazakhstan was won in 2012 at the London Olympics!

As the legendary Kazakh cyclist Valentina Kuznetsova, about whom we recently wrote, says: “Today, with independence, Kazakh cyclists have a good opportunity to directly join the national team and participate in all international competitions. Previously, the best results in the republic did not guarantee an athlete a place in the USSR national team; only a few succeeded in this.” She was among them. One can only be surprised how a fragile and short girl from Tselinograd, a little known city at that time, was able to break into the USSR national team and win medals, beating the strongest female cyclists of such a huge country and shine on the international stage...

The events dedicated to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Kazakhstani cycling included the Asian Road and Track Championships dedicated to this date (May 21 - June 1 in Astana and Karaganda), cycling competitions in all age groups and disciplines, including championship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in road racing in Aktobe (July 5–6), mass bicycle rides, festive cultural and leisure events with the participation of veteran athletes, people with disabilities, honored guests and simply cycling enthusiasts in all regions of the republic. The anniversary events will end with the creation of a museum of Kazakhstani cycling on the basis of the republican cycling track “Saryarka”, where the celebration of the 100th anniversary of national cycling was launched.

Maksut IRZHANOV
www.kazpravda.kz