A nationwide cycling race in memory of Yuri Gagarin will be held in Irkutsk, with more than 40 athletes from several cities in the Angara region and Buryatia taking part. The race starts at 4 p.m. at city hall and will be held in any weather.

“More than 40 athletes from Irkutsk, Angarsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye, Shelekhov, and Ulan-Ude will take part in the competition. We invite Irkutsk residents and guests of the city to come and watch this bright and spectacular event,” said Ilya Reznik.
President of the Irkutsk Region Cycling Federation Vladimir Zhuravlev said that this year the race will be held among men and juniors. According to him, a beautiful, uncompromising battle is expected. All the best riders of the Angara region will take part in the competition – Denis Borovik, Vladislav Litvintsev, and others. Sergey Shornikov will also take part in the bike race – the vice world champion among veterans, one of the most titled riders in the Irkutsk Region.
“This race is a kind of start to the cycling season in the Angara region. It usually takes place at very high speeds – 40, 50 km/h, and at the finish 60 km/h,” Sergey Shornikov noted.
The race starts at 4:00 p.m. near the city administration building. The race will take place in any weather.
The All-Russian Yuri Gagarin Memorial Cycling Race has been held in Irkutsk since 1961 – the year of the first flight of a Soviet man into space. In different cities, rallies, demonstrations, and concerts were held in honor of this event. In Irkutsk, in addition to all the official events, a mass bike race was spontaneously held. The sporting event became traditional and acquired all-Russian status. A criterium is a group circuit (lap) race in cycling (road), usually along city streets. Scoring in such a race is based on points. In a criterium, the length of one lap is from 1 to 3 kilometers, and the number of such laps is up to 50. After a certain number of laps, an intermediate finish is held, where the rider who crosses the line first receives, for example, 5 points, the second – 3 points, the third – 2, the fourth – 1.