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Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has described the inaugural Tour of Armenia international cycling race as a success, saying the event could lay the foundation for a new sports culture in the country.
The Tour of Armenia, also dubbed the Tour d'Arménie, is sanctioned as a Class 2.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour.
“The Tour of Armenia will definitely serve as a foundation for developing a new sports culture in Armenia. I congratulate all of us on the successful completion of the race. The Tour of Armenia, which is quite a complex, multifaceted event, was successfully held. If we did it for the first time, what is stopping us from doing it a second, third and many more times? Even for a first edition, given that it is a new sports culture, quite a lot of people are interested. And not only in Yerevan, but also in the regions of Armenia where the race was held. If we work consistently, the Tour of Armenia can become a means of promoting Armenia, developing cycling and, why not, promoting a healthy lifestyle,” Andreasyan told Armenpress.
The minister emphasized that she had received positive feedback from participants in numerous conversations over the past few days.
“The visiting participants are very impressed by how we close the roads here, and they say that it is done very professionally. They are also impressed by the quality of the roads. And they are impressed by Armenia itself as a country suitable for cycling,” the minister said.
Sixteen teams, each consisting of six cyclists, participated in the Tour of Armenia international professional multi-stage cycling race. The participants included teams and athletes from various countries, including Japan, Italy, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Germany and others. An Armenian team also participated in the race. More than 300 delegates arrived in Armenia in total, including athletes, team representatives and race officials.
Tour of Armenia, held September 10-13, consisted of four stages, covering a total distance of 587 km with 5,300 meters of elevation gain. It passed through four regions of Armenia.
Simone Raccani (Team Ukyo) won the general classification of the new UCI Europe Tour race.