Russian cyclist to re-join Synergy Baku

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Kirill Pozdnyakov will re-join the Synergy Baku Cycling Project in 2016.

Twenty-six-year-old Pozdnyakov was the team’s most successful rider in 2013, bringing in five wins. He won the overall title at the Tour of China 1, after winning the final stage, and was third overall in the Tour de Taiwan, winning a stage there, too. He also won stages at the An Post Ras and the Jelejah Malaysia.

“I am very happy to work again with Baku and all the people who involved in this project,” he said. “I look forward to the coming season and being with people I worked with before. I’m very excited to work with them again.”

Team manager David McQuaid, in turn, said it’s great to have a rider like Kirill back on the squad.

"If we go back to that magical first season of 2013 where Kirill was one of the riders who produced a lot of the magical results, it brings back a lot of good memories. And it is the rider himself who wanted to come back to this Baku team to go back to those days. He wants to re-start his cycling career after what has been a disappointing two seasons at Professional Continental level by his standards and he ultimately knows that here is the right environment for him to wipe the slate clean and start over,” he said.

The manager noted, when he first mentioned to DS Jeremy Hunt midway through the season about Kirill’s interest, his answer was immediate, bring him back he is a winner. Jez has raced with enough guys over 17 years professionally to recognize a winner.

“I think it should be put on record that Kirill left our Baku team at the end of the 2013 season for a contract at World Tour level with Katusha. However, he ended up at RusVelo for two seasons, a place where he was not allowed to thrive. In Kirill we have a proven winner and it is great to have him back with us where he has a lot of friends. You will see the results that stem from treating a talented rider with the respect and coaching he deserves. Roll on 2016!” McQuaid said.

The Synergy Baku Cycling Project will have more 2016 team announcements shortly.