A whirlwind of athletes and nations raced in a dizzying blur at the Minsk Arena Velodrome over the weekend as the venue was tested for its readiness to host the 2nd European Games.
A total of 27 sets of medals were contested at the Minsk Grand Prix, which was held in the Belarusian capital from June 16 to 19.
The athletes who competed at the official test event of the 2nd European Games ranged broadly in their experience level. From bright-eyed juniors taking part in their first international competition to veteran cyclists staging a comeback after a long break from the sport and podium regulars, the upcoming multi-sport extravaganza was top of mind for all the participants.
Russian athletes were the most successful in the four-day event, finishing with 39 medals, including 14 gold.
Local athletes picked up 19 medals and appear to be in good shape ahead of the home competition. With slightly over 30 days to go to the 2nd European Games, the Belarusian team has now shifted its focus from gym training and road cycling to preparing via competitions.
The athletes who are on the squad set to compete in Minsk when the Games kick off on June 21 will next race in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. Among them is Yauheni Karaliok, winner of the men’s Madison and silver medallist in the men’s Scratch at the Minsk Grand Prix.
“It was important for me to see what I am capable of right now and how I will feel,” Karaliok said after four days of racing. “By the end, I was so exhausted. I didn’t have any strength nor emotions left.”
Although Karaliok did not train exclusively at the Minsk Velodrome in the lead up to the 2nd European Games, he expects to get some home advantage when he competes at the venue next month.
“Each track is different. Each has its own particularities,” Karaliok said. “Our track is very good. You can get high speeds here. It is very tidy. There are no dimples or cracks and other things like that.”
For the top foreign medal prospects, the Minsk Grand Prix was a chance to test out the track ahead of the 2nd European Games.
Poland’s Katarzyna Pawlowska, for one, is looking forward to competing at the Minsk Arena Velodrome because it has brought her a lot of luck in the past. The Scratch specialist, who recently returned to the sport after a lengthy timeout, won her first world title in this venue in 2012 and was golden again in the women’s Scratch on the final day of the Minsk Grand Prix.
“I had a really good feeling because I won a world championships title here so it always brings me good memories. It would be nice to keep it going,” Pawlowska said of her “lucky” track. “I feel like a fish in the water here.”
While winning is a familiar feeling for cycling veteran Pawlowska, for some athletes who competed at the Minsk Grand Prix the emotions were brand new.
“I got my first win in an elite race in Omnium and it was a very good day,” said Portugal’s Maria Martins, who also took a bronze in the women’s Scratch. “This is hard work paying off so our team is very happy with the results here. They’re special for us.”
Martins moved up from the junior squad two years ago and is getting ready to compete at the 2nd European Games.
‘It’s a goal for me this year and it’s a new experience for me, the European Games. I started in the juniors and step by step I could do some things that gave me this chance to be here and to be at the European Games,” Martins said.
“I’m really happy that in one month I will be back here,” she added. “I really like this track. It’s fast, it’s clean. We keep the spectators close to the riders.“
Russia’s Andrei Sazanov does not know yet if he will compete at the 2nd European Games, but hopes that his performance in Minsk – including a gold finish in the men’s Scratch – will earn him a spot on the national team.
“For me this was quite an important victory because I have not had good results for a long time so I am very happy,” Sazanov said. “It is very nice to wrap up a competition like this, especially considering that this is not a team medal. I had wanted to do this for a long time so, roughly speaking, my dream came true.”
The track cycling competition at the 2nd European Games will take place from June 27 to June 30, 2019.
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