Special champion: how a deaf cyclist from Velikiye Luki became the best in the country

– Do you train all athletes or mostly athletes with special needs?

I train everyone. There are those who come as children, and I bring them to the sport of the highest achievements, to the national team and world championships. I usually start training guys from 10-12, even 13 years old. It is not necessary to come to cycling very early. I myself came to the sport at the age of 10.

In the first years, the foundations of physical training are laid, work is underway on general physical development. Then, when the specific loads on the bike begin, this is the basis. Athletes swim and ski… The work is very big, because cycling is hard. Imagine, professionals in competitions need to overcome distances of 270 kilometers, and this is 6 hours in the saddle!

Athletes need to be taught how to train and eat right before, during and after a race. We have a lot of talents, they just need to be trained!

– You mentioned that athletes are engaged both on skis and in the pool. How do cyclists train in general? It seems that these athletes, first of all, should have strong legs.

– Mandatory training in the gym 3-4 times a week, but not necessarily only on simulators. There are different types of loads on TRX [тренажер в виде петель для функциональных тренировок с использованием собственного веса для проработки мышц всего тела — ред.]. In general, we do a lot of static exercises (in addition to the different types of planks).

We really need a strong back, this is the main core of the body. In fact, for a cyclist, when he climbs a mountain, his arms and back get tired more than his legs. It only seems that the work is being done with the feet. No, in fact it turns out that the hand helps the leg, urges it on. And if the back is weak, then the legs will not be pulled far.

What else should a cyclist know and be able to do besides physical activity?

– Cyclists have special devices that measure the power that an athlete produces. The unit of measurement is Watt. Based on these data, you can “calculate” the race in advance, knowing how much power you need to squeeze out, and how much power you can leave in the “reserve”.

There is also a special “mathematics of health” – it works in conjunction with technology. You need to take into account the pulse, the level of hemoglobin in the blood … This, by the way, allows you to regulate nutrition, constantly supporting your body in order not only to give good results, but also to recover well.

You also need to calculate the work of the team when it is a team race. How to lead the leader forward, how to hold on to the rest of the team – this also has its own mathematics.

Sport, and even more so – cycling – is a whole science!

How do cyclists eat before, during and after a race?

– Nutrition will differ at different stages of preparation. For example, in winter it is worth “gaining” weight so that during the loads in the season there is a reserve, and there is something to lose.

The fat layer is the protection of the body. Moreover, it is the most powerful source of energy. If the body works correctly, then they help to “open a second wind.” For 3-4 hours, the athlete opens a “fat window”, energy begins to be converted not from carbohydrates, but from fats, and after that the athlete becomes easy again.

— What is the difference between the types of loads for cyclists who compete in different types of distances?

– Sprinters and those who overcome distances in the mountains differ in muscle structure. When the children are still small and just growing up, I already begin to look closely at them in order to understand who has what “horse”, what is better for the child to develop. It can be a sprint – a short-distance competition, or an athlete is able to drive 150-200 kilometers, and at the end even speed up and play the finish line. For those who overcome distances in the mountains, training is completely different.

There is also an Olympic view – a cycle track. But we do not take it, we do not have such training conditions.

– Are there any universal athletes?

— Of course, there are station wagons, but it’s rare. All the same, talent manifests itself in one thing.

For example, Ivan Makarov [член сборной России по велоспорту шоссе, заслуженный мастер спорта России — ред.] recently became the champion of Russia in the Criterium race. They drove 40 laps, and every second was the finish line, and by adding the results they chose the best. And he became the best. But in the individual race, in the sprint, Dmitry Rozanov became the strongest, and here Vanya has already become the second, although, it would seem, he is an all-rounder.

How are the athletes training? In particular, in the mountains (as we remember, there are no mountains in Velikiye Luki).

– Athletes such as Ivan Makarov, who are part of the national team, go to the training camp. Now we spend the whole winter in Sochi, before it was often Italy, Switzerland … There was almost no transport in the mountains – go wherever you want.

Now there are no such opportunities, but we can train well here. Arkhyz, the Caucasus, Sochi, Rosa-Khutor – the mountains are no worse than in the same Italy. Preparation does not break, we work, we prepare for competitions.

– We know that Ivan Makarov is an athlete with hearing disabilities. Tell us, what are the differences in working with such athletes, are there any difficulties in cycling?

– The essence of physical training is the same. The difference in psychological preparation – in this regard, Vanya can be hard. If we think in words, then a person with hearing impairments (especially if he has had them since childhood) thinks in pictures, although he can read lips.

There are both positive aspects and difficulties in working with such athletes. From a high load, any athlete can have psychological failures. And here the coach manifests himself as a psychologist, nutritionist, and personal driver. The coach and relatives are the main support and support of the athlete.

But there are also positive features of the situation. For example, when hearing guys go to the race, and the coach wants to tell them something – here, even if you scream, they will not hear. The wind at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour blows out the ears very strongly. And Vanya can show something with gestures, and he immediately understands everything. A coach’s advice is always very important.

— What does the coach usually suggest during the race?

– In races, in which sometimes 100 and 150 people can take part, tactics play a big role. When you are in a large group and ride a long distance, it is not clear what tactics to follow – to go quietly at the pace that you have gained, or you need to press.

Or, for example, if the race is a group race, and the partner of the athlete has gone ahead of the lead, then he should not catch up with his own. We must go calmly. It is much easier to ride in a group as a whole – the one who goes first takes on the main resistance to the wind, and the rest behind him rest, figuratively speaking. And if the first one went into the gap, and after they caught up with him, the second one, “fresh”, is turned on here to overtake those who are tired, overtaking the first one.

In chess, most often the combinations of moves are known. And in cycling, at each race, the combination can be new, and tactics also change, taking into account the characteristics of the body, weather, bike breakdowns and other factors. This sport is difficult not only physically, but also technically.

– How long does the athlete use his bike?

– Professional bicycles (for example, like Ivan Makarov) have frames made of carbon, and they “weaken” after a year. The material is no longer rigid enough, and you have to make more efforts to achieve results on it. In fact, every year you need to buy a new bike. We try to change it for the main starts.

And about chains, tires and so on – I’m not talking about. It’s just consumable.

Of course, equipment, uniforms, and equipment are also important … Our athletes are the strongest, but in fact we are far from technological development. In addition, there is no opportunity to try different equipment – uniforms, helmets – to choose the best. Well, you have to look out for others.

– How many big starts did your pupils manage to take this year?

– This year I pay more attention to Ivan Makarov. He became national champion in the Criterium race and placed second in the individual race. He secured his ticket to alternative games last year [Летние игры сурдлимпийцев «Мы вместе. Спорт» – прим.ред.]and in this – “confirmed” the status of the champion.

We were not lucky in the group race. Due to the imposed restrictions, spare parts have to be ordered in China. The quality, unfortunately, is not at all the same, but there is simply no alternative. And the participant’s chain fell off 200 meters before the finish line. But in this regard, everyone is in the same conditions.

— Tell us about alternative games. Where will they go? How many participants will be collected?

– Competitions will be held in Bashkiria from July 23 to August 2. Before the start of the competition, in order to prepare for them, we go there to the training camp. We know the area well and have been there many times.

The games will be represented by 5 strongest athletes from each participating country (so far 4 countries have applied for participation). Russia will also be represented by Ivan Makarov. There will not be many participants – everyone passes a strict selection according to certain criteria, as in the Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympics.

I know that Spanish athletes want to take part in the games, but it is not known whether they will succeed. All athletes are friends with each other, respect, do not feel negative. They all want to fight in a fair fight, but it turns out that politics has its influence on the sport.

We wish Ivan and his coach success in the upcoming race!