OREANDA-NEWS. November 27, 2009. The Meeting of the Board of Guardians of the Federation of Bicycling of Russia (FBR) was held in ITERA International Group of Companies’ head offices in Moscow.  Yuri Kucheryavy, Vice President of FBR, provided information on participation of the Russian athletes in international competitions in 2009, reported the press-centre of ITERA.

He commended Irina Kalentyeva for her performance in Mountain Bike World Championship in Australia and Alexander Kolobnev and Yegor Silin who became medalists in the World Road Racing Championship in Switzerland. Young athletes also won quite many awards in the world and European competitions. It was too early to lie on oars, - Kucheryavy stressed. He said it was necessary to work hard and improve material and technical base to be able to win the Olympic games. First steps in that direction have been made: stadiums and a specialty racing road will be constructed in Udmurtia and Chuvashia.

Andrew Chmil, Director of Katyusha, a professional team, when winding up the season pointed out: "We were not able to implement everything we had planned. All-in-all, though, one may qualify the first year of the team’s performance as a successful one". He reminded that Katyusha-Pro Team established with the assistance of ITERA, Rostekhnologii (Russian Technologies) Corporation, and Gazprom, won 26 professional cycling races of the major league in its opening season and entrenched itself on a third place by the number of top positions won. Chmil advised that early New Year two more teams would be established: a continental team and a youth team (for racers of up to 23 years old). These collectives are being formed without additional financing, but rather thanks to budgetary economy. A.Chmil said that the major objective of the professional Katyusha Team for the next season would be "to entrench itself in the world top ten teams and win the fifth final place".

According to the FBR Board of Guardians’ Press Service, the Council approved of the FBR Activity Program: Development and Support of Bicycling until 2016. According to the assignment by the Board of Guardians, Peter Chevardov, Executive Director of the Foundation, made a presentation of a Business Plan on production of bicyclic equipment in the Russian enterprises. In his opinion, the Project’s implementation would ensure provision of state-of-the-art technology to domestic continental cycling teams and the supply of bicycles to children and youth sports schools on a regular basis.

Alexander Gusyatnikov, the FBR Vice President, informed the attendants in the meeting of a plan to obtain rights to standardize and certify bicyclic produce. According to Gusyatnikov, this activity area may become promising and profitable, provided that legal and organizational issues are solved promptly.

Igor Makarov, Deputy-Chairman of the FBR Board of Guardians, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ITERA International Group of Companies, pointed out that Katyusha looked worthy in prestigious races and that it became a good training site for young Russian athletes.

The Board of Guardians acknowledged the FBR work and performance of the Katyusha Team in 2009 as being fair.

At the meeting, Irina Kalentyeva, Champion of the World, Eugenia Romanyuta, Champion of Europe, as well as Vladimir Krasnov, the coach, and Vyacheslav Yermonin, the massagist, were presented with honorary diplomas and testimonials constituted by ITERA. Oleg Siyenko, President of Cycling of Russia, took part in the victory ceremony.