The second international multi-day cycling race “Gold of Ladoga” will be held from June 1 to 8 as part of the sports program of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“SPIEF is a global business platform for the presentation of strategic projects and international communication. If we talk about cycling, the “Gold of Ladoga” race fully corresponds to this. For us, this is an important step towards creating a Russian Grand Tour. The test race last year showed interest in the project from foreign teams. This year “Gold of Ladoga” will reach a new level,” emphasized Vyacheslav Ekimov, president of the Russian Cycling Federation, three-time Olympic champion.
In 2024, the cycling route will pass along the roads of the Leningrad region and the Republic of Karelia, and will end with a stage in St. Petersburg.
“The scope of this project goes beyond the strong sports component. Thanks to the “Gold of Ladoga” bicycle race, the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia will have the opportunity to tell a wide audience about themselves. And the final stage within the boundaries of St. Petersburg will allow forum participants to touch the world of high speed cycling. Thus, sport and tourism mutually expand each other’s boundaries,” said Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation.
The first race “Gold of Ladoga” took place in July 2023. The cyclists rode more than 1,000 kilometers through eight cities and more than 40 settlements in the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia. Teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE took part in the race. Belarusian Sergei Shevchenko won the general classification.
Negotiations are currently underway to expand the international component of the second race. “Russian sport is introducing new formats, and the “Gold of Ladoga” cycling race has become a successful example of communication with foreign countries. This is an important start for Russian athletes and a very significant project for the development of domestic cycling,” said Georgy Bryusov, director of the Center for Sports Training of Russian National Teams.
Let us remind you that the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held on June 5–8. The operator of the SPIEF Sports Games is the sports platform of the Roscongress Foundation, RK-Sport.
Source: Rosbalt
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