Joint training camps involving the Turkmenistan national cycling team and a cycling club from Abu Dhabi (UAE) have begun in Ashgabat. The international training camp will continue until August 20 and will serve as an important stage in the athletes’ preparation for the season’s biggest competitions.
The organization of the joint training camp was approved by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers and marked another step in the development of international sports cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.
A delegation from Abu Dhabi has arrived in the capital of Turkmenistan, consisting of 28 people, including the club’s management, coaching staff, a technical specialist, and 24 athletes. The guests are staying at the “Turgenler” Hotel. Training sessions are being held at the modern sports facilities of the Olympic Village, as well as on the roads of Ashgabat and its surrounding areas.
Particular attention in the training program is being devoted to road cycling. Every day, the cyclists ride along Ataturk, Archabil, and Kopetdag avenues, as well as through the scenic Gokdere Gorge. During the training camp, the athletes are expected to cover about 1,270 kilometers, completing training routes ranging from 60 to 150 kilometers in length.
The program at the Olympic Village velodrome will also be intensive. Six specialized training sessions are scheduled there, along with three educational and methodological seminars devoted to modern athlete training methods, the organization of the training process, road safety issues, and medical support. All activities are being conducted in cooperation with the relevant state authorities.
The joint training camps have already become a good tradition. Sports cooperation between the Cycling Federation of Turkmenistan and the Abu Dhabi club has been developing successfully since 2023. During this period, the parties have regularly held joint training sessions, exchanged experience, and participated in international competitions. Similar training camps were held in Ashgabat in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Turkmen cyclists twice— in 2023 and 2024—competed in the prestigious Bike Abu Dhabi Gran Fondo.
This year, Turkmenistan is represented at the training camp by the country’s 15 strongest cyclists, who are training under the guidance of head coach Kakabay Atayev and senior coach Igor Yoldashev. Working with their foreign colleagues will enable the national team to improve its level of physical conditioning, exchange experience, and refine its tactical skills.
The joint training sessions are of particular importance ahead of major international competitions. Immediately after the camp concludes, the Turkmen team will travel to Thailand, where it will compete in the Asian Track Cycling Cup from August 28 to 30.
The main event of the season for the national team, however, will be the 20th Summer Asian Games, which will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan. It is for these competitions that the coaching staff and athletes are currently directing their main efforts.
Holding joint training camps with one of the region’s leading cycling clubs not only helps improve the sporting skills of Turkmen cyclists, but also strengthens international cooperation in the field of sports, creating additional opportunities for preparing the national team for the biggest competitions on the Asian calendar.
