The history of "Tosno Tour" All-Russia Stage Cycling Race

The race dates from 1995 when several cyclists on the road near Ulianovka competed for the awards of the first official road bicycle championship of Kolpino District in classical 25 km individual time trial. After 3 years the race was included in the calendar of Saint-Petersburg bicycle masters club "Poklonnaya Gora", grew in number of participants, and now is entered on the events calendar by Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad Region's Bicycle Federation.

It begun as a one-day championship. In response to the participants' proposal to extend the programme, the simultaneous start race was added to traditional individual time trial and then in 2003 the criterium followed, which had been held for 2 years in Kolpino supported by local authorities. From 2003 the race was moved to Tosno District forever. Ever since then it is always on calendar of the Russian Bicycle Federation. Now it is called traditional all-Russia Stage Bicycle Race Tosno Tour.

"Tosno Tour" gained popularity among cyclists from different regions regardless of age. It is proved by the variety of places where the racers come from. In 2009, apart of sportsmen from Saint-Petersburg, Leningrad Region and Moscow, we hosted cyclists from Arkhangelsk, Bryansk, Vitebsk, Vologda, Dolgoprudny, Donetsk, Ivanovo, Ivanteyevka, Izhevsk, Kaluga, Kirov, Klin, Korolev, Minsk, Nalchik, Veliky Novgorod, Noginsk, Odintsovo, Rzhev, Tver, Tiraspol, Shatura, Electrostal and Yaroslavl.

In the past years the guests came to Tosno stage race from Alexandrov, Arzamas, Berezniki (Perm Region), Borovichi, Kazan, Kamyshin (Volgograd Region), Kostroma, Krasnozavodsk, Krasnoyarsk Region, Kursk, Likhoslavl, Nevinnomyssk, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Pskov, Samara, Saratov, Severouralsk, Stavropol Region, Tyumen and Ulan-Ude. Former CIS and foreign countries were represented by racers from Australia, Byelorussia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine and Switzerland.

In 2009 112 sportsmen rode at least one stage of the race. Among them there were 1 honoured masters of sport, 3 world-class athletes, more than 30 masters of sport.

The Tour has got its "constant participants" (43 persons, including 14 from remote towns and cities), who have taken part in it more than 5 times. Organisers award such old-timers with diploma and exclusive medal.

The individual qualification of the stage race (cumulative time of 3 stages) is calculated in four age groups: under 39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+. Thus everyone can compete with a rival of his/her age group, which is an important thing if you are not young. 'The battle is to the strong', but winning the battle against yourself is the greater victory. That is why every finishing participant of Tosno Tour can call himself or herself the winner! Our race is for winners, and we have no losers!

Cyclists have proved that the term "age" is conditional in sport activities. The oldest participant of 2009 Tosno Tour was 77, while the youngest was 13 years old only. Sergey Sukhoruchenkov, Olympic champion, who was three times recognised as the best amateur racer of the World in different years, and Igor Moskalev, honoured master of sports, the winner of Peace Race as a member of the Soviet Union team are honourable and regular participants of Tosno Tour. As a matter of fact, a lot of mass degree sportsmen come as well as ordinary people enjoying riding a bicycle without titles. Indeed, SPORT FOR EVERYONE is the slogan of Tosno Tour.

The safety of the riders during competitions is provided by Tosno District militia. Its head officers are always approving and supporting the event supplying it with necessary number of staff and cars. Tosno Central Hospital allocates a doctor and ambulance car for all stages of the race.

It is obvious that the organisation of the race growing very fast in the recent years was impossible without significant help of Tosno District Administration and Committee for physical culture, sport, tourism and youth policy of Leningrad Region Government. The race is included a priori in the calendar events planning of the region's competitions; it is covered by local TV and the "Tosnensky Vestnik" newspaper. Saint-Petersburg TV channels "LOT" (Leningrad Region Television on the 5th channel) and "STO" show their releases about Tosno Tour every year. The newspapers of Leningrad region and Tosno District draw attention to the event. For Tosno the stage race is a 'visit card', the most significant and high-scale competition of the city's sport life.

The prizes are provided for each of 4 age groups; three best racers of each stage as well as personal best result (the lowest time by summing the time of 3 stages) are awarded. "Activity" classification is set in each age group (as the sum of bonifications at all stages). Also we honour the oldest and the youngest racer. In 2009 the organisers have preserved the good tradition: before the start of the last stage the leaders in all groups put on the exclusive leader's jersey. A new award for individual best time for introduced for juniors (under 18).

Financing is still the most complicated matter, although from year to year we manage to find sponsors to raise off-budget money to the prize fund, to buy prizes, sometimes not valuable, but always memorable. All starting fees collected flow to the prize fund too. The fee is affordable; winners of the previous year Tosno Tour of each age group are exempt from fees and the participants under 16 or over 60 pay half a price. The grand prize is, of course, for the rider with lowest individual cumulative time. Each participant of Tosno stage race receives a symbolic pennant, souvenir and diploma.

"Let all cyclists be healthy, successful in training and achieve new victories on the roads. Victory be yours!" - wish the organisers to all the racers and guarantee exiting sight for their teams and fans. Welcome to VIIIth traditional Tosno Tour in 2010.

This site will be updated as soon as new information comes.

If you have any questions, please contact us tosno-tour@mail.ru

Yury Dembovsky, the Race Director