After playing an important part in guiding riders via his role as directeur sportif with the Discovery Channel, Astana and RadioShack teams, double Olympic champion Viatcheslav Ekimov is moving to work with his native Russian riders in 2012.
The 45 year old wasn’t brought over to the new RadioShack-Nissan team when Johan Bruyneel and others moved across, thus bringing to an end a long association with a team he first raced for in 1997. He’s landed on his feet, though, being handed a role of professional sports adviser to Igor Makarov, who founded and heads the Russian Global Cycling Project (RGCP).
Marakov, who became president of the Russian Cycling Federation last year, wants Ekimov to oversee the development of Russian cycling withing the RGCP. The structure includes the WorldTour team Katusha, as well as the continental and youth teams Itera-Katusha, which act as a feeder. There are also men’s, women’s and youth RusVelo track teams.
Ekimov will be required to further the development of those involved, and will use his experience to help their careers progress.
As a rider he was one of Russia’s most successful, clocking up stage wins in the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, beating Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong to win the time trial at the 2000 Olympics, being part of the successful Russian team pursuit squad twelve years earlier, and also winning stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de Suisse.
Marakov will expect that his considerable knowledge will help Russia’s young riders to develop as well as possible, raising the standard and boosting the profile of the RGCP.