Pavlo Antonenko was the most successful in the championship, becoming the Ukrainian U23 champion in Scratch, Omnium, and Madison pair races. In the Madison race, he won the gold medal together with his partner Andriy Zozulia.
Meanwhile, George Antonenko triumphed in the individual pursuit event and became the Ukrainian U23 champion, while Pavlo earned the vice-champion title in this event.
By the way, George could only participate in the championship on the first day. Immediately after his victory in the individual pursuit event, he left for Estonia, where he joined his teammates and supplemented their lineup in the prestigious UCI 2.1 category race “Tour of Estonia”.
“Sometimes we joke that in the Ukrainian championships, the Antonenko brothers only need to figure out who will stand on the highest step this time. When one wins gold, the other is usually right there… Pavlo and George constantly push each other to be better, so they not only win against opponents but also constantly push their own limits. We are very proud of how they represent our team and the professionalism they demonstrate both in competitions and in daily training,” said Ignatas Konovalovas, head of the “Energus” team.
The Antonenko brothers joined the Lithuanian cycling team “Energus” at the beginning of this year. The athletes, who have been living in Switzerland for the past few years, say that the team quickly became a second home for them.
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The brothers started their cycling journey nine years ago at the Kyiv velodrome. Pavlo was ten years old then, and George was twelve. Although cycling is not among the most popular sports in Ukraine, curiosity soon turned into a serious passion and a professional career.
“What attracted us most to this sport was the community, the people, and the atmosphere. It was a place where we felt at home and always wanted to return,” recalls George Antonenko.
The titles won at the Ukrainian Championship became another important step in the young athletes’ careers and an excellent recognition for both themselves and the “Energus” team, with whom they aim for new victories in international competitions.
