Interviu: Aneliya Karagyozyan - Livada cu ciresi, cum e prin Romania si cateva despre fete si biciclete.

Adrian Nitu: Aneliya, multumesc pentru participarea la Livada cu ciresi, e prima ta prezenta, ce ti-a placut cel mai mult la eveniment?

Aneliya Karagyozyan: Buna, iti multumesc ca organizezi evenimentul! Mi-a placut relieful pentru ca este asamanator cu cel pe care sunt obisnuita, cum este si cel de langa orasul meu, nu foarte tehnic dar distractiv pentru concurs.
De asemenea, am fost surprinsa de faptul ca fondul de premiere a fost directionat catre tineri si femei. In zilele noastre discriminarea pe baza de sex este o mare problema in ce priveste premierea in sporturi. De obicei ciclistele castiga mai putin de 10% din cat castiga barbatii dar situatia la Livada cu Ciresi a stat cu totul altfel. Poate ai facut asta ca sa atragi mai multe femei si tineret catre sport.

AN: Ce ai schimba la o viitoare editie la Livada cu ciresi?

AK: A fost putin dificil sa mentin viteza avand in vedere ca se suprapunea traseul lung cu cel scurt. Am avut grija cand am depasit ciclistii mai putin experimentati si am redus viteza. Poate nu ar trebui ca cele doua trasee sa se suprapuna sau cursele sa aiba startul la ore diferite. Dar pe de alta parte a fost placut sa cunosti multi ciclisti pe traseu, sa ii saluti si sa le multumesti cand te lasa sa ii depasesti.

AN: Participi deseori la evenimentele Riders Club, cum asa? Mai sunt si altele pe care le consideri a fi interesante?

AK: Fiindca locuiesc aproape de frontiera cu Romania, imi e foarte convenabil sa calatoresc in tara voastra. Am inceput sa vin aici pentru ca e concurenta mai mare decat in tara mea si pentru ca, cursele sunt foarte bine organizate. Imi place Ziua B si Maratonul Dunarii.

AN: Spune-ne putin despre palmaresul tau.

AK: In acest an am castigat campionatul national de XCO. De asemenea am castigat si cel mai mare maraton din Bulgaria, Vitosha 100. Am venit pe locul doi la Prima Evadare dupa Suzi Hilbert. Si bineinteles am fost fericita sa castig la Livada cu ciresi. Acestea sunt unele din rezultatele mele din acest an. Iar o alta realizare personala de care sunt mandra este faptul ca baiatul meu a fost admis la liceul la care si-a dorit.

AN: De-a lungul carierei tale, ce competitii ti-au placut cel mai mult?

AK: Am un loc preferat in Bulgaria, este muntele numit Rhodopes. Mereu e o mare placere sa merg acolo, la concurs sau doar antrenament. Si mai este o cursa grea numita Chepelarski turkala, lunga de 70 de km cu 2600m de urcare. Imi place foarte mult. Mai este inca una cu multe catarari in Bulgaria, Cupa Murgash. Aproape aceleasi cifre.

AN: Cand ai concurat prima data in Romania? Ce te atrage in tara noastra?

AK: Am venit in Romania pentru prima data in 2011 (Cupa Emmedue) si am revenit in 2013 iar de-atunci vizitez tara voastra de cateva ori pe an. Satisfactia implinirii ma atrage cel mai mult pentru ca aici intalnesc cicliste rapide si competitita este mai incitanta. Cateodata in Bulgaria finalizez cu o ora inainte locului doi, ceea ce face concursul sa fie “predictibil”. Desigur, nu mereu se intampla asa. In plus, voi aveti mai multi oameni mai multi participanti, organizare si sponsori mai buni.

AN: Am observat un citat de-al tau pe pagina de la Carpathian MTB Epic, cu siguranta o astepti cu nerabdare. Este un proiect curajos pentru scena competitionala a MTB-ului din Romania, ce parere ai de tipul acesta de concurs, ar trebui sa incerce sa participe ciclistii obisnuiti?

AK: Admir echipa de organizare de la Carpathian MTB Epic pentru curajul lor. Cred ca e un eveniment care merita vizitat. Desigur, trebuie sa fii in forma pentru a lua parte la provocare, dar nu e nevoie sa fii profesionist. Poti merge pentru atmosfera si pentru peisaj. Sunt cu adevarat dornica si nerabdatoare sa vizitez muntii Carpati.

AN: Bulgaria e tara mai mica decat Romania cu o situatie economica nu mult diferita. Totusi voi dati ciclisti mai puternici (la sosea cel putin) si continuati sa organizati un Tur narional, oare un management mai bun al federatiei de resort sa fie responsabil de asta?

AK: De-a lungul anilor multe schimbari au avut loc la Uniunea Bulgara de ciclism. Conducerea precedenta acorda multe privilegii ciclismului de sosea. In trecut, doar cluburile de sosea faceau parte din federatie. Acum situatia s-a schimbat cu noul guvern, iar multe cluburi de mountainbike (ca si al meu) fac parte din Uniune. Avem inca multe probleme (majoritate financiare) dar lucram impreuna pentru a dezvolta sportul. Sa fiu sincera am fost putin invidiosi pe echipa Romaniei la Balcaniada de XCO din Grecia pentru ca ei au postat o poza cu o echipa mare unde toata lumea era imbracata in echipament frumos de lot. Au participat doar cativa bulgari (patru sa fiu exacta) si nu au avut sustinerea care ar fi trebuit.
Deci revenind la ciclismul de sosea si Bulgarii: da, cluburile de sosea au traditie lunga, ei antreneaza tineri de la varste fragede iar asta ii ajuta sa devina ciclisti puternici mai tarziu in viata. Dar am observat ca si Federatia Romana incepe sa se dezvolte si ca luati parte la Campionatul European. Sa tinem pumnii ca ambele tari sa dezvolte ciclismul la un nivel mai bun.

AN: Adversarele tale din Romania sunt marjoritatea fete tinere la inceputul carierei lor, ca o profesionista versata, ce sfaturi le-ai da?

AK: Acesta e un lucru foarte bun, sa incepi sportul cand esti tanara si ai posibilitatea sa iti antenezi toti muschii, oasele si sistemele. Intrebarea ta m-a facut sa rad pentru ca eu am inceput sa merg pe bicicleta la 30 de ani, iar asta a fost acum aproape 10 ani. Da, cu asta sunt versata dar nu sunt profesionista :) Lucrez ca profesoara la Universitatea Militara. In timul ramas ma antrenez (fara program sau antrenor) dar am o zi foarte incarcata si adesea antrenamentul sufera datorita altor obiective sau doar din cauza epuizarii.

Romancele voastre au antrenori foarte buni, cum ar fi Razvan Juganaru. Tot ce trebuie sa faca e sa ii asculte si sa fie perseverente. Sunt foarte ambitioase si sunt sigura ca or sa se dezvolte daca continua sa se antreneze.
Am observat acest lucru, prima mea participare in Romania a fost in 2011, si de atunci multe cicliste puternice au disparut din competitii. Pot da cateva exemple, Zsuzsa Gyurka, Emese Fodor, Irina Dumitru, Beata-Adrienne Piringer, Alexandra Lazar, etc. Erau foarte rapide dar s-au lasat de curse. Asa ca, fetelor continuati sa pedalati :)

Pe langa asta, fetele ar trebui sa fie atente la sanatatea lor. Stiu ca sportul cere sa fii foarte slaba, dar daca scazi prea mult in greutate poti avea probleme cu oasele si sistemul reproductiv mai tarziu in viata. In plus, dezechilibrele nutritionale sunt un lucru tipic pentru femei (nu doar sportive). Pe scurt, sanatatea e cea mai importanta, apoi vin rezultatele, cursele, etc. Toti acesti ani am incercat sa raman sanatoasa evitand riscurile si supraantrenamentul. Moderatia probabil vine mai tarziu in viata, cand esti tanara si ai energie, iti doresti repede succesul. Cateodata aceasta atitudine poate duce la consecinte nedorite.

AN: Ai castigat concursul cu picioarele, dar a fost ziua ta norocoasa castigand bicicleta la tombola, ai fost destul de uimita. E prima data cand castigi ceva in vitata ta?

AK: Da, a fost o surpriza grozava pentru mine, deoarece nu am castigat nimic in viata, si in al doilea rand a fost amuzant pentru ca acum o luna, eu impreuna cu clubul meu, am organizat un eveniment sportiv alaturi de Decathlon Bulgaria. Premiile mari de la tombola au fost trei biciclete si m-am bucurat sa vad chipurile oamenilor cand au castigat bicicletele. Acum sentimentul “revine”.




Adrian Nitu: Aneliya, thank you for racing at Livada cu ciresi, it’s your first participation, what is it that you liked best about the event?

Aneliya Karagyozyan: Hi, thanks for organizing the evnt! I liked the terrain because it looks the same like the terrain I am used to because it’s the same like the one near my home town: not too technical but still fun to race.

Also I was surprised that the prize fund was assigned only to youths and women. Nowadays It’s a big international issue with gender differences in prizes in sports. Usually women cyclists get less than 10% of what men receive but the situation with Livada cu Ciresi was very different. Maybe you did this to attract more women and more young people to the sport.

AN: What would you change to a future edition of Livada cu ciresi?

AK: It was a little bit difficult to maintain racing speed when the short and the long tracks overlapped. I was careful when passing the less experienced riders and I decreased the speed. Probably the two tracks shouldn’t overlap or the races should be at different time. But on the other hand it was nice to meet a lot of riders on the course, to say hello or thank you when they let you pass.

AN: You frequently attend Riders Club events, how come? Are there any others that you find interesting?

AK: Since I live close to the Romanian border, it’s very convenient for me to travel to your country. I started coming because there is more competition than in my country and the races are very well organized. I like Ziua B and the Dunarii Marathon.

AN: Tell us a bit about your palmares.

AK: This year I won the Bulgarian National Championship XCO. Also I won the biggest marathon in Bulgaria: Vitosha 100. I came second on Prima Evadare after Suzi Hilbert. And of course, I was happy to win Livada cu Ciresi.  These are some of my sports achievements this year. But another personal achievement that I am proud of is that my son got accepted in the high school that he wanted to.

AN: Throught your career, what is the race that you liked best?

AK: I have a favourite place in Bulgaria and it is the mountain called the Rhodopes. It’s always great pleasure to go there: racing or just riding. And there is a tough race called Chepelarski turkala which is 70 km long with about 2600 meters ascent. I like it very much. Also another one with lots of climbing in Bulgaria: Murgash Cup. Almost the same numbers.

AN: When have you first raced in Romania, what attracts you to our country?

AK: I came to Romania for the first time in 2011 (Emmedue Cup) and then I came back in 2013 and since then, I visit your country a few times per year. Completion attracts me the most because here I meet fast riders and competing is more exciting. Sometimes in Bulgaria I finish 1 hour ahead of the second competitor which makes the race “predictable”. Of course, it’s not always like that. Also you have more people, more participants, better organization and sponsors.

AN: I’ve noticed a quote of yours in the Carpathian MTB Epic race page, you must be eagerly expecting it, it’s a courageous project for the Romanian MTB racing scene, what it your opinion on this type of race? Shoud ordinary yet fit riders try it?

AK: I admire the team of the Carpathian MTB Epic for their courage to organize it. I think it’s an event that deserves to be visited. Of course, one should be fit in order to take part in the challenge but it’s not necessary to be a professional or competitor. One can join just to enjoy the atmosphere and the scenery. I am really excited and eager to visit the Carpathian mountain.

AN: Bulgaria is a smaller country than Romania with an economic situation not much different, yet you give out stonger cyclists (road at least) and keep organizing a national Tour, could a better management of the national federation be responsible for this?

AK: During the recent years a lot of changes happened to the Bulgarian Cycling Union. The previous governing authorities gave a lot of privileges to road cycling. Even in the past only road cycling clubs were part of the Federation. Now the situation changed with the new government and a lot of mountain bike clubs (like mine) are part of the Union. We still have a lot of problems (mainly financial) but we work together on developing the sport. To be honest, we were a little envious of the Romanian national team at the Balkan Championship of XCO in Greece because they posted a picture with a huge team and everyone was dressed up with beautiful team jerseys. There were only a few Bulgarians (4 to be precise) and they didn’t have enough support as they should have had.

So, getting back to road cycling and Bulgarians: yes, road cycling clubs have a long tradition, they train young boys since very early age and this helps them develop into very strong riders later in life. But I notice that the Romanian Federation is also developing and you take part in the European Championships. Fingers crossed that both countries develop cycling to a better level.

AN: Your adversaries in Romania are mostly young girls at the beginning of their career, as a seasoned pro what advice would you give them?

AK: This is very good thing: to start a sport when you are young and you have the possibility to train all your muscles, bones and systems. Your question made me laugh because I started riding a bike when I was 30 years old and this is almost 10 years since then. Yes, that makes me seasoned but I am not a pro J I work as a teacher in the Military University. In my spare time I train (without a program or coach) but I have a very busy day and my training often suffers because of other tasks or just exhaustion.

Your Romanian girls have very good coaches like Razvan Juganaru. All they have to do is listen to them and be persistent. They are very ambitious and I am sure they will develop if they keep riding. This is what I noticed: my first race in Romania was in 2011 and since then many strong riders disappeared from the competitions. I can give examples Tsutsa Gyurka, Emese Fodor, Irina Dumitru, Beata-Adrienne Pirringer, Alexandra Lazar, etc. They were very fast but they quit racing. So, girls: keep riding J

Also girls should watch closely their health. I know that the sport requires us to be very slim but going too low in weight can cause problems with the bones and the reproductive system later in life. Also, some eating disorders are typical for the women (and not only) athletes. In short: health is the most important thing, then come the results, the races, etc. During all these years I tried to stay healthy by not overtraining or risking. Moderation probably comes at later stages in life and when you are young you have the energy and you want to succeed right now and very fast. Sometimes this can be tricky and lead to unwanted consequences.

AN: You won the race with your legs, but it was your lucky day winning the bike at the tombola, you were quite amazed of this. Is this the first time you win something like this in your life?

AK: Yes, it was a great surprise for me first because I never won anything in my life and second, it was funny because 1 month ago my cycling club and I organized a sports event together with Decathlon Bulgaria. The big prizes at the tombola were 3 bikes and I was very glad to see people’s faces happy when they won the bikes. Now the feeling “returns”.