Bicyclists are treated royally in Turkmenistan, especially on World Health Day: the country's major cities even partially block off traffic.
Ashgabat has a monumental Bicycle Monument erected near the picturesque Kopet Dagh mountains in 2020. The traditional 30-kilometer cycling race starts here on 7 April.
The Presidential Palace attaches great importance to the development of the sport. Last year, the country's leader, 40-year-old Serdar Berdimuhamedov, led a convoy of cyclists himself.
In 2019, a Guinness record was broken in the Turkmen capital: more than 2,000 people participated in the marathon, and the "echelon" was more than 3,000 meters long.
Turkmenistan had planned to host the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Championships 2021, which eventually took place in Roubaix in northern France. The International Cycling Union (UCI) reported that the event in Ashgabat had to be canceled due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctors say the bike is an effective cardio machine, great for burning calories and relieving stress. Local businessmen promise to start producing it soon. It remains to add that it is possible to see bicycle policemen in Turkmenistan.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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