NICOSIA, 8 May 2009 - The XIII Games of
the Small States of Europe are close and the athletes’
preparations are in full swing. Six mountain bikers from
a select Cyprus Team—Marios Athanasides, Vasilis Adamou,
Michalis Kittas, Kyriakos Skettos, Georgios Fattas and
Vladislav Neroznak—are already in Germany, along with
team coach Eftychios Kasapis and team leader Michalis
Hajioannou, to take part in the Mountain
Βike
race which is to take place in Frankfurt on Sunday, 10
May.
The team is expected back in Cyprus on
Monday, where a decision will be made in the upcoming
days on which six athletes will be called to the
National Team for the
GSSE.
The main reason behind the trip is to better prepare the
bikers ahead of the Games. “We have had this race in our
plans for quite some time in a bid to have the best
preparation possible,” commented Kasapis. “We chose
Germany because of the high level of the race—which is
higher than the GSSE—and it will give the best possible
competition for our athletes ahead of our own games.”
Kasapis was quick to clear that the current athletes
were part of a select National Team and that they were
not necessarily the athletes that would comprise the
eventual GSSE team. “The team selection will be made
once we return to Cyprus for both men women.”
PK/JL/CD
