2nd Russian Masters Track Championships - NE

Moscow, Russia, December 12-13, 2003

Russian Masters track championships - take two

By Sergey Kurdukov, Russian Eurosport commentator

The Olympic velodrome at Krylatskoye hosted the Russian Masters championships only for the second time in the history of Russian (and, for that matter, Soviet) cycling. And yet it has already got everything it takes to live on for years to come. The entry list is growing bigger, the heated racing atmosphere is supplemented by friendly informality of everything that goes on behind the scenes. Even an outbreak of flu epidemic in Moscow couldn't stop either riders or organizers. One of them, the head of the Leader cycling club Georgi Karasjov, had fallen victim to it, yet braced himself up and remained on the bridge.

The start was open for riders from 27 years onwards, provided they didn't ride for an elite team. Besides, those cyclists from the 40-49 age group who found 21 laps of the scratch too short for their tastes were welcome to enter 30 laps of the group 27-39.

Most of the favorites had been through a tough road season by then. Still they had to accumulate at least some of their top form to be competitive after some weeks off. So there was a fair measure of surprise, like the defeat of Yury Demanov (multiple World Masters Games champion in 2002) in the scratch race...and on the other hand, his victory in 1 km TT.

What everybody found absolutely logical was the stability of "the Russian Irish" Liam Collins, who was on the podium in every event. The rider knows every board of the track on which he trains all winter long, together with his comrades-in-arms from the Master-Profie club. "Younger veterans" Alexander Torkatchenko and Igor Archipov looked pretty good for December, keeping in mind that they focus on elite marathon MTB races in summer time.

Results

1000m Time Trial 27-39
 
1 Andrei Shalygin (Moscow)         1.12.22     
2 Alexander Torkachenko (Moscow)   1.13.80 
3 Liam Collins (Ireland)           1.13.87
 
1000m Time Trial 40-49 
 
1 Juri Demanov (Moscow)            1.14.28
2 Alexander Andrianov (Moscow)     1.16.23
3 Igor Pchenkine (Moscow)          1.24.18
 
500m Time Trial 50 plus
 
1 Juri Avvacumov (Moscow region)     43.28
2 Vladimir Prochorov (Moscow)        43.38
3 Albert Kolybin (Moscow)            44.09
 
Pursuit 27-39 3000m 
 
1 Alexander Torkachenko (Moscow)   3.50.38    
2 Andrei Shalygin (Moscow)         3.57.73
3 Liam Collins (Ireland)           3.59.31
 
Pursuit 40-49 3000m 
 
1 Alexander Adrianov (Moscow)      3.51.64
2 Juri Demanov (Moscow)            3.53.33
3 Valeri Novikov (Vologda)         4.19.68
 
Pursuit 50+ 2000m 
 
1 Vladimir Prochorov (Moscow)      2.59.25
2 Albert Kolybin (Moscow)          3.02.30
3 Juri Avvacumov (Moscow region)   3.08.38
 
Scratch 27-39
 
1 Igor Archipov (Moscow)  
2 Alexander Andrianov (Moscow)
3 Liam Collins (Ireland)
 
Scratch 40-49  
 
1 Valeri Novikov (Vologda)
2 Andrei Sutchkov (Moscow)
3 Igor Pchenkine (Moscow)
 
Scratch 50+ 
 
1 Juri Avvacumov (Moscow region)
2 Vladimir Prochorov (Moscow)