Cycling

Lộc Trời Group cyclists will enjoy their first international competition experience at the Gold of Ladoga on June 1-8 in Russia. — Photo of Cycling News

HÀ NỘI — Lộc Trời Group cycling team will make its international debut after receiving an invitation to compete in the Gold of Ladoga in June in Russia.

The second international multi-day race is part of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum's sports programme.

The team which won three top awards at the largest domestic event, HCM City Television Cycling Tournament last month, will send six cyclists to the June 1-8 competition.

They will compete in seven stages of 872km with the route passing through the roads of the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia. The race will conclude with a stage in St. Petersburg.

The first stage of 62.4km will begin at 8pm and be expected to wrap up at 9.30pm.

"Many powerful riders of Russian and international clubs will compete in this event, making for a high-quality race," said coach Lê Thành Liêm.

"It is our first international tournament so we just target to learn as much as possible from strong rivals."

Liêm however will not have his best rider Petr Rikunov, winner of the HCM City Television Cycling Tournament, in Russia.

Rikunov will compete for the national team and cannot ride for Lộc Trời Group.

He regretted that he would not race for the club but he would try his best to support the Vietnamese cyclists in his ability.

The first Ladoga Gold cycling race took place in July 2023.

Cyclists rode more than 1,000km surrounded by the natural beauty of Lake Ladoga. The multi-day route covered eight cities and more than 40 settlements in the Leningrad Region and the Republic of Karelia.

Teams from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE took part in the race. And Belarusian Sergey Shevchenko won the general classification. — VNS