The men's continental road team of the Minsk Cycling Club opened the competitive program of 2022 season with Grand Prix Megasaray cycling race, which took place in Turkey on January 30.
The first start of the season brought together an impressive company of more than a hundred riders representing 18 teams from ten countries (including two ProTeams). Four teams from Belarus entered Grand Prix Megasaray: Minsk Cycling Club and BelAZ continental teams, as well as club teams of Viva Rovar and Velobike.
Minsk Cycling Club put up the following line-up for the race: Yauheni Karaliok, Yauhen Sobal, Vasili Strokau, Vasili Bialiauski, Mikhail Shemetau.
The distance was not too long - 126.6 km, but this did not affect the intensity of the struggle. Everyone was eager to prove oneself at the first start of the season.
One of Minsk Cycling Club leaders, Yauheni Karaliok, risked to break away. The advantage of those who broke away at times reached 3:40, but the peloton, led by experienced teams from Italy and Norway, managed to establish a pursuit and close the gap 10 km before the finish line.
It all ended in a massive sprint, for which Minsk Cycling Club finisher no longer had the strength.
All Minsk Cycling Club riders finished in the group: Strokau (24), Sobal (26), Karaliok (36), Shemetau (37), Bialiauski (80).
The best of the Belarusians that day was Dzianis Marchuk, the rider of U team of Minsk Cycling Club, who competed for Viva Rova club team and took the 12th place.
On the third day of Belarus championship in track cycling Minsk Cycling Club racers got victories in madison and keirin among men and women.
A stubborn struggle for "gold" unfolded in the women's madison. As a result, the tandem of Minsk Cycling Club racers Hanna Tserakh - Nastassia Kiptsikava, having scored 56 points, was one point ahead of the duet of representatives of Ferei team Ina Savenka - Dziyana Lebedz. Two more Minsk racers (Alina Abramenka, Anhelina Krasko) climbed to the third step of the podium.
Among men, no one was able to compete seriously with Minsk Cycling Club racers Yauheni Karaliok and Dzianis Marchuk. With 88 points, they confidently won the champions title in omnium.
The opponents had to fight for the remaining places. As a result, the second place with 57 points was taken by Brest duet Artur Kiryevich - Dzianis Mazur, and the third place went to Gomel team consisting of Raman Ramanou and Yauheni Akhramenka (51).
In the women's keirin one more “gold” was added to her collection by Minsk Cycling Club racer Hanna Tserakh. Dziyana Subbotsina (Minsk) finished second, Yuliya Manets (Brest region) - third.
In men's race, all the prizes in keirin were taken by the sprinters of Minsk Cycling Club. The champion title went to Uladzislau Novik, who in the final race beat Artsiom Zaitsau and Aliaksandr Hlova, who took second and third places, respectively.
The racer of Minsk Cycling Club continental team Yauhen Sobal finished his performance at the international multi-day cycling race Tour of Serbia with the second place in the final general classification and with a sprint jersey.
Minsk Cycling Club arrived in Serbia with the following line-up: Yauhen Sobal, Stanislau Bazhkou, Yauheni Karaliok, Siarhei Shauchenka, Dzianis Marchuk, Uladzimir Harakhavik.
More than a hundred riders representing 21 teams came to the start of the 61st edition of the Tour of Serbia. The Belarusians were not lost in this company. Yauhen Sobal tried on a sprint jersey already at the first stage and entered the top 3 of the overall ranking.
Dzianis Marchuk took a mountain jersey at the first stage, and then rode several stages in the jersey of the best young rider, and also had a good chance of getting to the podium (5th place at the second stage, 4th – at the fourth stage).
At the third stage, Sobal finished second and moved up to the second place in the general classification. And at the final stage, Minsk Cycling Club racer managed to maintain his position and brought the team 33 points to the international rating of the UCI Eurotour.
The racer of Minsk Cycling Club Yauheni Karaliok became the winner of the overall standings of the 2021 Nations Cup in omnium.
According to the results of the third final stage of the Nations Cup, which ended in Cali, Colombia (our compatriot did not participate therein), the winners of the overall standings in all disciplines were determined.
In omnium, the Belarusian Yauheni Karaliok took the lead, on whose account in this Nations Cup was a beautiful victory at the stage in St. Petersburg in July and the second place at the stage in Hong Kong in May.
NATIONS CUP 2021 (OMNIUM, MEN) – OVERALL RANKING
The victory in the individual pursuit at the stage of the Nations Cup in Hong Kong brought the third place in the overall ranking to the racer of Minsk Cycling Club Hanna Tserakh.
NATIONS CUP 2021 (INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT RACE, WOMEN) – OVERALL RANKING
Another third place to Belarus in the overall ranking of the Nations Cup was brought by the male madison. In Hong Kong, the Belarusian tandem Yauheni Karaliok - Dzianis Mazur finished fifth. In St. Petersburg, the duet Artur Kiryevich - Yauheni Akhramenka showed the ninth result.
NATIONS CUP 2021 (MADISON, MEN) – OVERALL RANKING
In 2021, two more track top tournaments await Belarusians: the European Championship will be held in Switzerland on October 5-9, and the French Roubaix will host the world championship on October 20-24.
In the men's group race of the Belarusian championship, there was a serious struggle for the champion title. But the main participants were the racers of Minsk Cycling Club continental team.
The men's race was the last one in the national championship program. Riders, and there were 48 of them in the start list, had to overcome 169.1 km.
The participants were losing no time and already on the first lap 14 riders, the majority of which were from Minsk Cycling Club, broke away.
Most of all in the peloton, such a breakaway did not like the BelAZ team, which tried to organize the pursuit. However, despite their efforts, the gap not only did not close, but also widened.
Several attacks on the rise noticeably shrink ranks of the breakaway. And in the main group, not everyone kept up the pursuit pace.
As a result, Stanislau Bazhkou, Vasili Strokua and Mark Grinkevich were among the leaders in Raubichi circles. But soon there were only two leaders left - because of problems with the switch, Strokau fell behind.
Meanwhile, Yauhen Sobal and Yauheni Karaliokmoved to the pursuit group, where Branislau Samoilau, Aliaksandr Piasetski, Dzianis Marchuk were riding.
The pursuit group got closer, but with each circle it also became smaller. Sobal and Samoilau were faced with the task of win back 40 seconds in the last five-kilometer lap... But Stanislau Bazhkou really wanted to win that day. And nobody managed to prevent him from doing it.
The beautiful race ended with a beautiful Victoria of Bazhkou. Grinkevich was second, Sobal – the third. Just respect to the team: top 10 of the final protocol consisted only of Minsk Cycling Club racers.
In the standings among men under 23, Mark Grinkevich took the lead, his teammate Dzianis Marchuk took the second place, the representative of the city of Minsk Pavel Turchenko took the third place.
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