“Winning in Russia for a contract in Europe is not an indicator.” Rikunov signs with China and hopes to return to the “pro”

AT Petra Rikunova there was a contract with Gazprom-Rusvelo, but in 2022 the project ceased to exist – UCI licenses were revoked from Russian teams. The Etna rally suddenly changed training in Tyumen. There is no professional status, no high level racing.

– There was a desire to end a career, because there are no prospects. Resiliently, she dissuaded me from it – after all, at 25, it would be very strange to end it like that. I went to races on the Russian calendar with the team from the Tyumen region. Race after race, I felt that the feeling of love for what I was doing remained, the urge to race was there. As a result, I won the Russian championship, talked to people, realized that there was a chance to return to the professional peloton. It has not yet been possible to return, but at the end of last year an offer was received to go to Vietnam for their Asian Tour de France. So I continue to work in the hope that all that will stop and that we will be able to go to international competitions, to the race.

– Was it like from heaven to earth?

– Exactly. When the team was closed, I did not train for a month, then I returned to work, we went to Izhevsk. There, I caught myself thinking that this is exactly where it all started ten years ago. And such “why so suddenly I was driving according to professionals, and now everything has to start again?” Average feeling. Morale was not easy. People who love their work very much and who at some point lost it will understand. How to put it into words? Apart from the disappointment, there were no sensations.

At that time, when we were informed of the team’s closure, we were at the training camp on Etna, preparing for Milan-San Remo. And here I am again – and in Tyumen, riding in the field from one village to another. The whole team sat at the training camp, at the “Pearl of Siberia”.

The terrain only exists on the biathlon track – it’s quite heavy, short and rather steep climbs. If you train for an hour or two, you can work well in the field. You can even do mountain training if you get confused.

Do you travel to warmer climates?

– February-March – Sochi. The only option in Russia for us.

– In Sochi, safety on the roads is not very good.

– Clearly not all drivers out there like cyclists, but if you’re riding with an escort, then that’s fine. In addition, for a few years, everyone has become accustomed to the fact that the runners leave in groups. Sad cases happen, shoot down. But it’s not just us.

– Lev Gonov was shot in Lotoshino. When did you learn this?

— Already in the group race. When they signed before departure, I asked him what happened there – he posted a message then, but did not explain in detail how it happened. I have no idea how this is possible, how this man broke through on the track. What’s on people’s minds?!

In the race, I knew none of that. At the first cut-off I lost 17 seconds to Leva, the second half I expected to go faster, when I turned the last kilometer they suddenly told me that I had left two minutes… I was surprised.

Back to your Asian projects. How did it all come together?

– Last year, a proposal for Vietnam was found through Roma Maikin. He already spoke there, asked me if I also wanted to pass. I agreed. There were 25 stages – before more than ten days did not go. He presented the situation to me and told me everything. When we passed the race, when we managed to win, the team was satisfied and we were invited to the following year.

In Asia, this race is very popular, offers from Chinese mainland teams immediately went to sign the UCI contract. I consulted Roma, he went to China with the Minsk cycling club, he understood what and how. As a result, we have agreed with a Chinese team on a contract until the end of December this year. One of these days I should get a visa, early July we have the first block.

The contract is very important. It’s financial stability, the possibility of starting out in UCI races and earning points. This allows you to prove yourself, prove yourself and possibly get offers from other projects with better conditions.

– At some point in the World Tour, if the team had no problems with the results, those who, so to speak, were not sorry, were sent to the races in China. Or whose contract ended. Now the situation has changed dramatically. Do I understand correctly?

– It’s true. The strongest teams and the right compositions come to the Asian races. Previously, they only went to make money, they sent those who are not sorry, the “dead”. Now it’s different. The level of detention has also increased.

— Are the weather conditions difficult?

— Specific humidity. In Vietnam we ran at +42. They start at 7:30-8:00 in the morning, but even later, in the middle of the day, you are already “floating”. We need more water – the guys constantly went to technical services for this. But to be honest, despite the fact that I arrived in four days, I did well. Turns out I can handle humid heat quite well.

Why didn’t you apply for neutral status?

– I didn’t even delve into the subject when the information from the UCI appeared, because the contract had to be taken care of – this is more important. Also, being part of the team, I can ride without this new neutral status. So there’s no point in rushing now. I can participate in races, and this neutral status is necessary for the world and European championships. Now it doesn’t matter – the World Cup in the UK, a visa, it’s all very difficult.

– What do you think of the information that people with neutral status could find themselves without prizes in Russian competitions?

– To be honest, at first I thought it was part of the IOC’s recommendations. I’m shocked this topic is coming up again. If our sport was number one in the country, it’s a story. If our races were as prestigious as the European ones…

— Or would be the status of Belgium in the world of cycling.

– Yes. But this is far from the case, and besides, the world of professional cycling is completely different. It is important that everyone, without exception, performs in Europe.

– Sign a contract with China – you will be away from your family for six months. Is it hard to leave?

I try to come home more often. The girl is growing up, I don’t want to miss the moments of her childhood. When you play as a professional you can take your family with you, now the situation is a bit different.

“To Europe again in any way?”

– They invited me to Portugal, in the team in which Artem Nych plays, but we did not agree on the conditions – I have a family and there are many difficulties with the documents. In the context of this whole situation, he refused. Dima Strakhov also refused, he also has a family. Artem is easier in this regard – he went there. He is running, but he is waiting for documents, so he did not come to the Russian Championship. The other teams didn’t call me – I wrote to Caja, for whom I played, but everything was already full there. Also, everyone wants to see your current level. How much you earned in Russia is not an indicator.

“Do you conduct the Five Rings of Moscow?”

– Yes. So far, we haven’t discussed what there will be in terms of tactics. I think, in principle, we will start more from the situation. There are two stages in Krylatsky’s ring, where anything can happen.