Thus, on September 22-23, the open championship of the North Caucasus Federal District in downhill – high-speed descent on a mountain bike – will be held for the first time at the resort site. Both professional cyclists and mountain bike enthusiasts can take part in the competition.
“The race will take place in five categories. “Elite” are experienced athletes whose professionalism must be confirmed by a UCI license, the International Cycling Union. There is also a “juniors” category for cyclists aged 16-18, “amateurs” – 19-30 years old, and “masters” – over 30 years old. A separate category is for girls aged 17 and above,” the press service of JSC “Resorts of the North Caucasus” (JSC “KSK”) reported.
Downhill for professionals and amateurs
The race will take place on a track descending from the 2240-meter mark. All participants of the competition on September 22, the day of the start of the competition, and the day before will be able to make training runs in the bike park of the tourist village of Romantik, which will allow them to assess the complexity of the tracks and technical elements, test their strength and prepare for the qualifying and final races.
JSC KSK noted that special attention will be paid to the safety of the competition participants. Before the start of the race, the serviceability of the equipment, the presence of helmets and additional protective elements among the racers and amateurs will be checked. Non-professional cyclists will have to present a valid sports medical insurance policy upon registration.
“All the strongest racers of our country will come to the competition, the newest “red” track will be used,” Ivan Kunaev, a master of sports in mountain biking, told the Interfax-Tourism portal.
According to him, the resort is actively building bike trails, and in the future one of the best bike parks in Russia may appear there. "Arkhyz" has been making good trails for several years now - first ski trails, now bike trails. By the end of this season there will be four of them: one "green", two "blue" and "red". Sochi is currently considered the best resort in the country in terms of cycling, but "Arkhyz" has better terrain and weather, it has great potential," noted I. Kunaev.
He added that tourists at the resort would benefit from a “full package” for organizing their vacation. “Ideally, create package services: you buy accommodation, food, transfer. For those who are going to Arkhyz for the first time, this is very convenient,” concluded I. Kunaev.
Training area
When not in competition, Arkhyz becomes a training ground for professional athletes. This summer, the resort hosted training for the St. Petersburg national team and members of the Russian national biathlon team for three weeks.
More than 20 people took part in the biathlon training camp. The training program included a range of physical exercises, including marathons, and target practice.
"Arkhyz" met and welcomed us very well. There is quality service, good food and accommodation," said the coach of the St. Petersburg biathlon team, master of sports in biathlon Alexander Merzlyakov.
"The resort is a great place to organize the training process, there are all the conditions for improving the functional training of athletes. In the future, if we create roller ski tracks here and improve the shooting range, Arkhyz as a training base will be no less attractive than similar sites in Europe," he noted.
Arkhyz and snowboarders
Already in the next ski season, Arkhyz will host a stage of the Russian Snowboard Cup for the first time.
“We plan to take part in the competitions, I am sure they will go well,” Denis Tikhomirov, president of the Russian Snowboard Federation, told the Interfax-Tourism portal.
He added that the resort, in his opinion, has great potential – especially in connection with the construction of the ski infrastructure of the northern slope. “I myself was at Arkhyz, I really liked it. The slopes have different relief – from steep to gentle. There is a shady side, where the snow will lie for a long time. Good roads and infrastructure,” noted D. Tikhomirov.
All-Russian sports base
The construction of new trails and cable cars on the north-facing slope of the resort should be completed by the end of December; more than 350 technical personnel and over 130 vehicles and special equipment are currently involved in construction and installation work.
It is planned that three gondola sections of the Northern Lights cable car with a capacity of 2,500 people per hour up to an altitude of 2,505 meters and about 11 km of new trails of all difficulty levels will be opened for tourists.
“Our strategic goal is to make the resorts of the North Caucasus, including Arkhyz, not only popular tourist destinations, but also important training bases for athletes in winter sports – alpine skiing, freestyle, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and others,” said Rustam Tapayev, Deputy General Director of JSC KSK. “Our colleagues from sports federations and athletes who come to Arkhyz all note the resort’s high potential for professional sports.”
Source: tourism.interfax.ru