Artem Ovechkin: “The reconstruction of the Krylatskoye track will greatly simplify the holding of competitions”

Artem Ovechkin, a former professional cyclist and multiple Russian individual time trial champion, said the restoration of the Krylatskoye Olympic track would simplify the holding of competitions and contribute to the development of the sport.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on the official website that the “highway illegally privatized in the 90s” has returned to city ownership and restoration work has begun.

— This is our Olympic heritage. The fact that this can finally come to fruition, and I hope it does, is really cool. There are now fewer athletes on the highway (professionals – approximately), but amateur sports are gaining popularity in Moscow. And despite the fact that the city is large, there are no places to hold competitions, and the restoration of the Krylatskoye track will make it possible to hold more races and attract more participants.

From what I heard, they want to close the route, do it without leaving the road, then the question of blocking the roads will not arise, which will significantly simplify holding events. They want to separately expand the conveyor belt and install lighting. That’s what I heard. And all this is good,” Ovechkin told .

According to him, Russian cycling must work on mass participation.

— Talents are born from mass participation. We need to go in the opposite direction, create mass sports for children, from which a large number of people will come out. [спортсменов] among young men. Additionally, we now live in a digital world and we need to work more with marketing. Produce calendars, public events, promote its popularization. Our sport is beautiful. History shows that in the Soviet Union it was huge, all this can be returned, which means you just need to work, ”added Ovechkin.

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