Gazprom–RusVelo (), a part of the Russian Global Cycling Project and sponsored by

Gazprom PJSC Gazprom ( rus, Газпром, , ɡɐsˈprom) is a Russian State-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational Energy industry, energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg. The Gazprom name is a contract ...

, is a Russian road and track cycling team that suspended its activities in 2022. It was founded in late 2011 and granted

UCI Professional Continental The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...

status. For its first season 2012 the team signed several ex- riders along with a few ones from Continental Team . RusVelo initially included both men's and

women's A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

rosters. The directors are

Viatcheslav Ekimov Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Ekimov (Russian Вячеслав Владимирович Екимов; born 4 February 1966) is a Russian former professional racing cyclist. A triple Olympic gold medalist, he was awarded the title of Russian Cyclis ...

, Oleg Grishkin, Egon van Kessel from the Netherlands, and Australian

Henk Vogels Hendricus "Henk" Vogels (born 31 July 1973, in Perth) is an Australian former professional road bicycle racer who retired from competition at the end of the 2008 season, riding with the Toyota–United Pro Cycling Team. He won the Australian ...

. The General Manager was

Heiko Salzwedel Heiko Salzwedel (16 April 1957 – 29 September 2021) was a German cycling coach and team manager. Coaching career Salzwedel was born in Schmalkalden. After moving from his native East Germany to Australia in 1990, he set up the Australian Ins ...

. In March 2022 the team's licence was revoked by the UCI following the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

. On the same day bicycle manufacturer Look, and wheel provider Corima, both announced the cancellation of their sponsorship of the team. Later that month, the team suspended its activities.

Team history

In December 2012, RusVelo's request for a Professional Continental licence for the 2013 season was denied pending a review. The squad were ultimately awarded a Professional Continental licence on 9 January 2013.

Doping

In 2013 the team endured a spate of doping positives. In March

Valery Kaikov Valery Kaykov (born 7 May 1988) is a Russian former professional racing cyclist. Track In 2010 Kaykov won the individual pursuit at the U-23 European Track Championships. He was also part of the Russian team that won the team pursuit. At the 20 ...

for the, cancer-causing, banned compound

GW501516 GW501516 (also known as GW-501,516, GW1516, GSK-516, cardarine, and on the black market as endurobol) is a PPARδ receptor agonist that was invented in a collaboration between Ligand Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline in the 1990s. It entered ...

(Endurobol). This was the first recorded positive for Endurobol. In June at the 2013 Russian National Championships

Roman Maikin Roman Yuryevich Maikin (; born 14 August 1990) is a Russian racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Continental team . He rode at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships. Major results Source: ;2012 : 6th Schaal Sels : 7th Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem ;20 ...

and

Artem Ovechkin Artem Sergeyevich Ovechkin (; born 11 July 1986) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2021 for , and the . Major results Source: ;2007 : 5th Overall Way to Pekin ::1st Stages 4 & 5 (ITT ...

tested positive for

Fenoterol Fenoterol is a β2-adrenergic receptor agonist and bronchodilator medication used in the treatment of asthma. Fenoterol is produced and sold by Boehringer Ingelheim as Berotec N and in combination with ipratropium as Berodual N. It was patent ...

and received a six-month ban Andrey Solomennikov tested positive for asthma medication and received a six-month suspension as well. As a result, the team auto-suspended itself from competition. In June 2015, the team received their fifth positive in less than two years when Petr Ignatenko tested positive for

human growth hormone Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...

(hGH) in an out-of-competition test on April 8, this is only the second hGH positive since Patrick Sinkewitz returned an adverse analytical finding for the substance.

Team roster

Major wins

National champions

;2013 :

Russian National Time Trial,

Ilnur Zakarin Ilnur Azatovich Zakarin (; born 15 September 1989) is a Russian former bicycle racing, racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2012 to 2022. Career Early career and doping ban In 2007, as a 17-year-old, he won the juniors time trial ...

;2015 :

Russian National Time Trial,

;2017 :

Russian National Road Race,

Alexander Porsev Alexander Nikolayevich Porsev (born 21 February 1986) is a Russian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2011 and 2019, for and . Major results ''Sources'': ;2008 : 5th La Roue Tourangelle : 5th Grand Prix of ...

;2019 :

Russian National Road Race, Alexander Vlasov ;2021 : MaillotRusia

Russian National Road Race,

Artem Nych Artem Yuryevich Nych (; born 21 March 1995 in Kemerovo) is a Russian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . Major results ;2013 : 8th Road race, UCI Junior Road World Championships ;2014 : 3rd Road race, National Under-23 Roa ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gazprom-RusVelo Cycling teams based in Russia UCI Professional Continental teams Cycling teams established in 2012 2012 establishments in Russia