Probably the last place anyone would expect to find three Eastern European Olympic women's cycling teams just days before the Atlanta Games is in a remote corner of Utah County.
That's exactly why they're here.Members of the Olympic cycling teams from Russia, Lithuania and Ukraine are making their final Olympic training runs on the country roads and in the canyons near this out-of-the-way location.
The cyclists say they like south Utah County's quiet atmosphere and the myriad opportunities the area offers to train.
"It's good because of the altitude. It's good because of the mountains and flat roads. It's very good for training," said coach Yuri Isaev of the Russian team, which is ranked No. 1 in the world.
"We really like it here in Utah. The conditions for training are great, and the people are friendly," he said.
Isaev, driving a state motor pool van lent by Gov. Mike Leavitt, accompanied five Russian women cyclists Wednesday on a training ride up Payson Canyon on the Nebo Loop Road.
The steep grade and high altitude of the Nebo Loop are just what Isaev wanted when he began looking several weeks ago for a place to house his team before the Olympics.
Getting the cyclists to train in Utah was a coup, said Rusty Butler, executive director of the Utah-Russia Institute.
"It really is a boon to the state of Utah," he said. "The word will get out that Utah is just as good as Colorado for training. I think we'll see more top-quality athletes coming here."
Butler said Utahns who meet the cyclists should watch the Olympic medal ceremonies closely because they likely will see the Eastern Europeans with gold, silver or bronze medals hanging around their necks.
The Russian team participated in last month's International Women's Challenge bike race, which covered 650 miles through Utah and Idaho.
After the 13-day race, billed as the most grueling women's bicycle race anywhere, Isaev and his cyclers were contacted by employees of Neways Inc., a Salem-based company that markets health-care products.
At the invitation of Neways, the Russian team, along with the Lithuanian and Ukrainian teams, moved into secluded private cabins above Elk Ridge to wait out the days before heading to Atlanta.
The cyclists get free room and board as well as Neways products like Ming Gold, an endurance and energy supplement. In exchange, Neways gets a feather in its cap because the athletes promote its products.
So far, the tiny communities of south Utah County are rallying around the Eastern Europeans. Officials from Salem and Woodland Hills hosted an International Friendship Barbecue earlier this week to honor the athletes.
Salem is sponsoring a community bicycle race Saturday, with the gold medal hopefuls as guests of honor. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) of Orem coordinated a 75-mile ride over the Nebo Loop with the Olympians Thursday.
But the cyclists were perhaps more excited about an invitation from Nephi city officials to attend a rodeo there Thursday night.
"We couldn't turn it down," Isaev said. "We couldn't come to America without seeing a rodeo."
Isaev said all the cyclists are grateful for the help they've received, and they're glad to have made friendships. They don't regret staying in the relatively plain cabins instead of plush hotels.
"We get to see America better," he said, "and not just the America you see on television or what people talk about. It's the America we can see with our own eyes."
The cyclists ride at least 70 miles each day, and all that riding makes them hungry. The Neways employees who put food on their tables are amazed at what the teams eat, like 40 pounds of fruit per day.
Although the Russians, Lithuanians and Ukrainians are staying in neighboring cabins, they don't train together. Each team plans its own rides and daily schedules in order to keep race strategies confidential.
In the International Women's Challenge, sponsored by Power-Bar, twin sisters Rasa and Jolanta Polikeviciute of Lithuania had holds on first and second places, respectively, after a circuit race at Utah Valley State College June 22.
Russian Svetlena Boubnenkova was also a strong contender, finishing seventh in the final standings. Despite giving way to winner Anna Wilson of Australia, the Eastern Europeans say the race was a good one for them.
The Olympic cycling teams also participated in a race put on by America's Freedom Festival at Provo July 4. The Russian team members weren't trying to win the PowerBar Challenge or the Freedom Festival race, Isaev said, but just wanted to make a good showing and prepare for the Olympics.
The coach isn't saying how his team will fare in the Atlanta Games.
"I never predict," he said, "but I can say we'll definitely try."
All the cyclists will leave Utah County by July 19 in order to arrive in Atlanta in time for the first cycling competitions two days later. The bikers say they aren't looking forward to the heat and humidity of Atlanta after the relative cool of Utah.
They also say they aren't looking forward to leaving the friends they've made.
"We really like it here in Utah," Isaev said. "We're hoping to continue the relationship."