Andrii Ponomar - "Being a kind of ambassador for Ukraine in the period we're going through makes me feel stronger"

In the midst of the Russian invasion, Andrii Ponomar, the Ukrainian national champion, remains determined to succeed. He recently competed in the Tour of Oman and placed 43rd in the overall classification.

"I need to race strong and win so that people can see this jersey," he told Cyclingnews before the last stage of the Tour of Oman. "We have a war in Ukraine so we couldn't do the Nationals last year, so this year I'm very pleased to be able to show the colours of this jersey in all the races I do."

The outbreak of war caught him off guard while racing in Spain, causing him to be concerned about the safety of his family members, particularly his mother and sister. It took weeks of difficulty, but they eventually managed to join him in Italy.

“I couldn't sleep at all, I couldn't stop reading the latest news updates, to try and reach my relatives. I was worried sick about my relatives whom I imagined were in danger and I had a total sense of powerlessness when faced with that,” he told La Dernière Heure.

While his father is still fighting in his homeland, he hopes to help his country in a different way through his involvement in sports. "It makes me enormously proud. I've raced in many different countries with my jersey and the more people that see my blue and yellow jersey, the better. I want to represent my country in the peloton and being a kind of ambassador for Ukraine in the period we're going through makes me feel stronger,” concluded Ponomar.