The Moscow Cycling Festival is included in the Russian Book of Records

A record number of participants has been set at the spring cycling festival, said Maxim Liksutov, Moscow's Deputy Mayor for Transport and Industry.

"The Moscow cycling festivals, which we organize on behalf of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, bring together more and more people every year. We strive to show that cycling has long been a full—fledged mode of transport in the capital, and cyclists are full-fledged road users. This is confirmed by our bike tour, which gathered a record 77,000 people," Liksutov said.

According to him, among the participants there were a huge number of representatives from other cities — St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Veliky Novgorod, Tver, Vladimir, Tula. "There are five more large—scale holidays ahead for residents and guests of the city, the nearest of which will be held on May 30," the deputy mayor added.

On May 24, the first cycling festival of the current year took place in Moscow. The race traditionally took place along the Garden Ring starting from Akademika Sakharova Avenue. The event was attended for the first time by representatives of the Russian Book of Records, who recorded that the spring cycling festival has become the most massive in the country. Liksutov himself led one of the columns. He recalled that this year's event is dedicated to the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.

The starting town of the festival opened at 12:00. For convenience, cyclists started in columns hourly, starting at 13:00. While some participants finished safely, others were just getting ready for the start. According to Liksutov, the musical accompaniment created a special atmosphere of the arrival — along the 16 km route, the participants drove past the "music stations", where the artists of the "Music in the Subway" project performed famous songs.

An entertainment program with performances by invited artists was organized in the festival town, and the Cream Soda group became the main performer. Interactive zones where contests and quizzes, as well as prize draws, were held were waiting for visitors. Activities were also carried out at the venues of the event's partners. Photo zones were opened for the guests and spaces for relaxation were created. There were bike workshops and a bike wash where anyone could put their vehicle in order. The youngest cyclists could try their hand at a special obstacle course.

The bike festival also has a dating site with a special stand. Guests could fill out a questionnaire about themselves and scan someone else's to find new friends or company to check in. The participants of the action also received stickers "Getting to know each other on the go."

For the safety of participants of the spring cycling festival in the capital, access to a number of facilities in the Garden Ring area was restricted, including Kursky and Paveletsky railway stations and the Maxim Gorky Central Park of Culture and Recreation.

The Spring Cycling Festival is a large—scale celebration in support of an active lifestyle and alternative transportation. This is a free event, anyone could join it.

The opening of the children's cycling festival will take place on May 30, two night races will be held on July 4 and August 1, and the autumn cycling festival will be organized on September 12.

Last year, almost 250,000 people joined the Moscow Cycling Festivals. Maxim Liksutov, Moscow's Deputy Mayor for Transport and Industry, emphasized that each race was special. For example, the spring festival gathered a record number of participants at that time — more than 67 thousand people. And during the autumn race, cyclists overcame the longest route — 26 km. The deputy mayor promised to continue holding bike festivals and popularize cycling in Moscow.