Yanina Kuskova before the Olympic Road Race in Paris
Yanina Kuskova is a name that most women’s cycling watchers will have heard of. However you say it, most of us didn’t really get the chance to know her properly. Like everyone else, I initially viewed her as one of the girls from Tashkent who really shouldn’t be competing in the biggest races in the world.
I’m not going to spend this whole article talking about Tashkent because I believe there are already some excellent pieces published on that topic.
But for those who have never heard of the Tashkent City Women’s Professional Cycling Team, it’s an Uzbek team composed entirely of Uzbek riders. They established the team with the aim of qualifying as many riders as possible for the 2024 Olympics. To achieve this, they needed to gather UCI points. Competing in an Asian program with almost no competition allowed them to earn a lot of UCI points, which ultimately secured them a wildcard to participate in all the biggest races. Although the team wasn’t fully prepared, they began competing at the highest level in 2024.
Why Kuskova?
Well, one of the reasons is that, unlike her teammates, she actually has the talent to become a good World Tour rider. She demonstrated her potential by finishing the Giro and the Tour with ease as the only rider on her team.
In the the following sections, I’ll discuss how the Uzbek Cycling Federation abandoned its most talented rider.
On September 20, Kuskova took to Instagram to share her frustration with the situation. She expressed her disappointment, writing:
"My last race was on August 18 (the last stage of the Tour). Since then, my team and I have been at home in Uzbekistan. We didn't take part in other European races anymore because our team stopped existing. Although we probably won't race anymore I still decided to keep training because I hoped to go the World Championships in Zürich. My country promised to pay for the trip to Zürich, but they booked plane tickets, which would lead me to arrive in Switzerland in less than 24 hours. Of course, I will be tired afterward, so I said I wouldn't go in that case, but they just didn't care. I'm so sad that Uzbekistan doesn't understand the value of cycling and its athletes. It's a real shame, our team existed for three years, and now it's over."
Instagram Story of Yanina Kuskova
A few days later, Kuskova posted an update on the situation; she took matters into her own hands and booked plane tickets herself. But it would've been too easy and nice if that was the end of the story and everything was fixed by that.
Kuskova:" Having an emotional breakdown... I eventually bought plane tickets myself so I could compete in the world championships. But now I faced a new problem. The Uzbek Cycling Federation won't give me my bike and wheels. When I asked them why they don't want to give me my bike, even after I paid for the trip myself, they said that I didn't deserve to represent Uzbekistan at the World Championships. The main reasons being my Instagram post (her critic on Uzbekistan) from a few days ago and my lack of results the last few years. (Which is very weird to say because Kuskova was by far the best Uzbek rider.)
The situation is very sad because during those 3 years I did everything I could without the federation noticing it. After all, I still love my team and my country because they gave me so much. At the moment, I'm just very disappointed and upset about all the things that are happening.
I realize that I might get in trouble with this post. But I just really wanted to let you know how I've been doing.
I'm still doing everything I can to make the World Championships."
Instagram Story of Yanina Kuskova
As Kuskova said, she would try anything to go to the World championships. And eventually she did find a solution... Ideal or not, it is something.
Kuskova: "I decided to take my training bike with me, which means despite all those bumps on the road to the world championships, I'll be able to make them. I want to thank everyone who has been supportive an helpful. Thank you!"
Instagram story of Yanina Kuskova
Conclusion
Long story short, when Uzbekistan qualified for the Olympics with two riders (Kuskova and Zabelinskaya), the project was complete for the federation. They only wanted to pay for the 'necessary,' even if that meant their athletes would go into the race exhausted. The moment Kuskova stood up for herself and expressed her outrage to the world, they abandoned her immediately. Kuskova did what they wanted: earned UCI points and represented Uzbekistan at the Olympics, but when she needed their support, it was not there.
So being the (mentally) strong rider she is, Yanina Kuskova, decided to take matters into her own hands and not let anyone have the power to crush her dreams. She bought the tickets, took her training bike with her, and left for Zürich.
Now that we’ve discussed the reasons behind this blog post, it might be time to get to know her a bit better. And no, I’m not talking about her age (22), hometown, or other details; I’m talking about how she experienced this situation...
So here you go, an interview wit Yanina Kuskova about Tashkent, being a rider in Uzbekistan and how she experienced the World Championships! Enjoy the read!
The interview
What is it like to be a female cyclist in Uzbekistan?
For me, it's not bad, but I really want to join a European team because there are more opportunities there compared to Uzbekistan and Asia in general.
What was it like to race for the Tashkent team?
When we first heard they wanted to start this project, I was thrilled because it gave me and my team the chance to compete against European racers. We signed an American coach for three years, bought equipment, and received support for travel and races. The main goal for Uzbekistan was to earn a license to compete in the Olympic Games, so we started traveling to more races. In the end, we secured a spot in pro tour races.
How did you feel about your first pro tour race?
The first pro tour race of the year was in Australia. It wasn't the strongest lineup, but for me, it was a new experience. I was curious about how the other girls raced, the speed, and many other things. It was exciting, and I gained my first experience at this level.
But the most exciting races of this season were, of course, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. These are the coolest races, and I think every female cyclist dreams of competing in them—myself included. The emotions were overwhelming, and it felt like real cycling at its best, racing against the strongest women.
I'm really happy that I was able to start and finish all the stages, even though my team couldn’t finish all of them. They supported me, and that meant a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed racing at this level, and the most important thing is that I now see how strong the competition is, giving me something to strive for.
Yanina Kuskova at the Tour De France Femmes
Did you expect the Tashkent team to be closed after the Tour?
No, I didn’t expect that, but the team hasn’t been closed yet. However, they said there won’t be many trips in the next two years, and they didn’t renew the coach’s contract. Our main goal now is the Asian Championships, now, the team will gradually return to the level it was at three years ago. It’s disappointing, especially given all the work we’ve put in, but I hope things will improve, and the team won’t be shut down. Hopefully, it will continue to exist, and we’ll still have opportunities to travel, but nothing is certain yet.
How were your days before the World Championships? Did you receive support from the Uzbekistan federation?
I was preparing for the race since they told me in advance that I’d be going to the World Championships. But as the event got closer, they only bought me a plane ticket last minute, so I ended up flying all day and arrived less than 24 hours before the race. I asked them to change my ticket, knowing I’d be exhausted after the flight. But they didn’t care, telling me I could either cancel my participation or pay for the trip myself, which I couldn’t afford.
After two days, I managed to find the money and bought my ticket. I asked them to cover the accommodation, but they refused and said that because of something I posted on Instagram, I shouldn't race. They also told me my results over the past three years weren’t good enough and refused to provide any equipment, even if I paid for the entire trip myself. It was heartbreaking because I had worked so hard, but they didn’t seem to notice.
I decided to take my training bike and go anyway. They informed me that another girl from Uzbekistan, who was now on a team in Sweden, would race instead of me. I asked why we couldn’t both participate, but they said it was because of my behavior, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. They claimed the entire Uzbekistan Cycling Federation was against me racing.
However, the men’s national team coach from Uzbekistan, who was in Sweden, intervened. He even received a message that I wasn’t allowed to race, but he helped me with the application, and I was able to start the race just an hour before it began. They gave me a different bike, which was much better than my training bike.
How did the World Championships go for you?
The World Championships were unusual for me. I had hoped to finish in the top 30, but given all the stress I went through, I managed to place 66th. The weather was cold and rainy, but I’m glad I reached that goal. Even though I didn’t have a great race, I fought hard, and the important thing is that I didn’t give up. I believe I did everything I could, and of course, I gained valuable experience. The men’s national team coach supported me throughout the race, and I’m incredibly grateful to him for that.
How does your future look?
I want to sign a contract with a World Tour team—I really hope I can achieve that. I don’t want to stop competing because I love cycling, and I know I haven’t yet reached my full potential. I believe I can do more, and I’m willing to work hard to get there. I’m determined to make it happen.
The Race
Despite the horrible weather conditions and the stressfull days that led into the World Championships for Yanina, she succeeded finishing the race in the group with Alison Jackson, Mireia Benito, and others! She crossed the finish line in 66th position! About twenty minutes after the winner Lotte Kopecky!
Hats of Yanina!!!
Now we came to the end of this blog, there are just two things left to say for me...
One: Thank you Yanina for being so enthousiastic to work with me!
And Second: For the World-Tour teams in our middle, give the woman a contract, the combination of her talent and determination is what you need in your team!
Hi thank you for taking your time to read my blog and with that Yanina's story! More than ever I would suggest you sharing this so we can put Yanina in the spotlight!
I hope you enjoyed and learnt something from this article.
As always, let me know if you have a question, suggestion or noticed a typo on my socials by DM or in the chat function on this site!
See you in the next blog?
Very good that she gets to speak up. She is so brave to fight for her career even though the Uzbek Federation is not behind her. Nice read, keep it up!
Interesting article. I really enjoyed reading about that whole situation. I read some headlines about it before but your text really helped to fill in the details. Keep up the good work.