OREANDA-NEWS. July 30, 2010. The meeting of the Management Committee of the Russian Cycling Federation (RCF) took place in the Head Office of ITERA International Group of Companies.

Igor Makarov, the RCF President, addressed the meeting to make an assessment for a difficult situation in the national cycling in recent years. He believed that "only joint effort and tight-knit work could stop its downfall". "Today, we have reached the bottom line, - he stressed. – To ensure ascent, it is important to organize close cooperation with regions of the country and listen to what healthy opposition is saying. It is necessary to engage governors and heads of city administrations into area of interests of cycling, and to organize efficient dialogue with the world of business. Without doing this and, certainly, without employing the latest achievements of global science and practice it would be impossible to move forward".

Igor Makarov, among first-priority tasks cited "creation of comfortable conditions in cycling centers and physical culture school for children and youth". He is sure it is necessary to hold mass cycling races to popularize cycling. "A Moscow – St. Petersburg cycle race, organized on an initiative of Gazprom, Rostechnologii and ITERA Oil and Gas Company, this April may serve a vivid example" - he stressed.

I. Makarov pointed out: "cycling should obtain subsidized financing. One should remember that cyclists shall contest for 18 sets of medals during the Olympic Games".

Alexander Kuznetsov (St. Petersburg), Rinat Latypov (Ufa), Vladimir Vagenleiter (Yekaterinburg), Anatoly Leluk (Adygheya), Alexander Samokatov (Tula), Alexander Kochetkov (Udmurtia), Valery Sysoyev, Alexander Gusiatnikov (Moscow) and others took part in the discussion. They discussed problems of cycling, presented their visions of overcoming the crisis. They directly connected the ascent of cycling with the necessity of the state assistance and raising sponsorship financing.

The meeting discussed an issue of preparing to the Continental Championship-2010 at a racetrack in St. Petersburg. An international and an All-Russia calendars for 2011 have been considered. The members of the Russian teams for Road Racing Championship of Europe and MTB were approved. It was decided to hold an extraordinary RCF Congress in October of 2010. It is to approve of a new Statute of the Federation.