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Life is like riding a bicycle
To keep your balance you must
keep moving.
Albert Einstein
On 22nd August 2010 a ceremonial finish of the 15th jubilee Charity Red Square Bike Ride in aid of children with Down syndrome took place in Vasilievsly Spousk, Red Square.
 The most important and high-profile benefit event of Downside Up Charitable Fund - Charity Red Square Bike Ride – annually unites more than 200 people from over 45 companies. This year its 140-km course ran through Kaluga region and raised 6 mln rubles in aid of the early intervention programmes for children with Down syndrome
Downside Up Charity Sports programmes pursue two goals: firstly, to raise funds in favour of Downside Up Early Intervention Centre. The Centre provides FREE professional support of psychologists, special teachers, speech therapists and medical consultants to 1969 families from Moscow and other Russian regions raising children with Down syndrome. The second goal is to raise public awareness for Down syndrome – the theme which remains a source of numerous myths and prejudices.
This year the bike ride participants’ and organisers’s residence was at ETNOMIR cultural and educational tourist centre. For the night they stayed in Siberian houses, Ukrainian huts and Asian yurts, and in the morning they went cycling through beautiful landscapes of Borovsk region. The Bike Ride 2010 was the fourth one for Andrey Vostrikov, a youth with Down syndrome, an all-round world champion in gymnastics among disabled children, a gold medal winner at Special Olympic World Games in Shanghai. Among the people who came to support bike ride participants were Downside Up graduates, ten-years-old schoolgirls Nastya Petrova and Dasha Mukhanova.
The morning of the first day was a sort of endurance test: an uphill route; ceaseless rain and +11 degrees C, but in the afternoon the sun came out, so things went better, and after cycling for 60 km, the participants returned to Etnomir, became Indians and demonstrated their talents in the “Prairie Hunters” game. They had to decipher symbols, use bow and arrow, guess spices by their scent, and noose a reindeer. Having made a voodoo potion, the “Indian bikers” danced a ritual dance, set free a head of the tribe, and set out for teams’ presentations.
On Saturday morning the weather was enjoyable. The local road patrol service did a good job, drivers and passers-by signaled and waved cheerfully – Kaluga region was giving us a warm welcome. In the evening there was a ceremony of unveiling the monument to Mother Teresa of Calcutta (sculptor Alexey Leonov), and a press conference for journalists. At the end of the ceremony a nun from the Sisters of Charity Order reminded the audience of Mother Teresa’s words: “Have the courage to accept people as they are”. In the end, each participant flew a white balloon into the sky and made a wish.
The bike ride’s culmination was a ceremonial finish in Red Square, Downside Up children ride and a performance by two children song and dance groups. MTV presenter Irena Ponaroshku was a magnificent mistress of ceremony for this part of the programme. Medals and prizes were awarded by film actress Anna Gorshkova. Igor Makarov, President of Russian Cycling Federation, welcomed the participants and praised them for their team spirit and social responsibility. The event was covered by Channel One, Russia 2, TV Centre, Channel 5, and BTK, and millions of people learned that anyone can help improve the life for children with Down syndrome.
 Our congratulations to winners:
Andrey Vostrikov - Mister Bike Ride 2010
Pavel Fedousenko - The strongest participant
Maria Goumennaya - The strongest participant
Amateur League
1st place – Rimoulla
2nd place – Adrenalin Russia
3rd place – Aqua Generaly
Corporate League
Grand Prix - Shell Concern in Russia
1st place – PepsiCo
2nd Place – PricewaterhouseCoopers
3rd place - Boeing, HSBC and Nike
The three days that we spent together filled the life of the participants with new meaning. Their common goal during the bike ride was not simply to break the tape, but to help the children. The companies and private persons have made donations which will ultimately improve the life for boys and girls with Down syndrome.
“Kind hearted people are the salt of the earth”. On behalf of Downside Up Charitable Fund, the parents and the children we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every participant, to the teams, winners and all companies which supported the Charity Red Square Bike Ride 2010.
 Big thanks to our sponsors: JamilCo group of companies, PepsiCo Russia, Shell Russia, HSBC, Voerman, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ETSN, REALEX, KPMG, Western Union MT East, TNT Express, NADOM Group, Deloitte, Renaissance, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton hotels of Russia, Nike, Veles Capital, Parad catering, ITERA, Boeing, Банк ДЕРЖАВА.
The action is supported by Moscow Public Relations Committee, JamilCo group of companies, BMW MORORRAD RUSSIA, Amway, FrieslandCampina, Parad catering, Благотворительный фонд сотрудников BSGV, Восточный экспресс Piquadro, Elektra, ООО «ATAK», ООО «Подарок», Альфа Битца, Дети Марии, Детский музыкальный театр «ДомисольКа», Вода Гучковская, AMS, Кофе Хауз, Cadbury, Legacy, сеть тайских СПА «КИНАРИ», Forward, Shimano-Normark, VeloRace.ru, PepsiCo Россия, Сок «Фруктовый сад», Группа компаний EFES в России, Voerman. Information support: АЕВ, RBCC, INSIDERS, КИФИР, The Moscow Times, Provelo, социальная сеть туристов ипутешественников turometr.ru.
Team results: corporate league
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Corporate
League
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Game
“Prairie Hunters”
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Presentation (1-highest point; 3-lowest point)
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Speed competition
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Image
(1-highest point; 3-lowest point)
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Place
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|
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Points
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Place
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Points
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Place
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Time
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Place
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Uniform
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Spirit
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JamilCo
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37
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4
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6
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2
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3:43
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9
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1
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1
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4
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PepsiCo
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35
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6
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8
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4
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3:15
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1
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1
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1
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1
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|
Shell
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40
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1
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7
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3
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3:27
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3
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1
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1
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Grand Prix
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|
HSBC
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35
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6
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6
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2
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3:31
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6
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1
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1
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3
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Voerman
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_
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16
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_
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16
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_
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16
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2
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2
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10
|
|
PWC
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38
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3
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9
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5
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3:25
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2
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2
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2
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2
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ETSN+REALEX
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_
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16
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_
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16
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4:54
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14
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3
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3
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10
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KPMG
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34
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7
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12
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7
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3:30
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5
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1
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2
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6
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Western Union
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37
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4
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10
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6
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5:36
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15
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1
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1
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8
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TNT Express
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39
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2
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5
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1
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3:57
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12
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2
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2
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5
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NADOM Group
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35
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6
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7
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3
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3:45
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10
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2
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2
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7
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Deloitte
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39
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2
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6
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2
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3:56
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11
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2
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2
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5
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Renaissance, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton hotels of Russia
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36
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5
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10
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6
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3:36
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8
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2
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1
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6
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Nike
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35
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6
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6
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2
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3:28
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4
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2
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2
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3
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Boeing
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39
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2
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7
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3
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3:33
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7
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2
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2
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3
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Bank DERZHAVA
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40+1
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1
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_
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16
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4:01
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13
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2
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2
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9
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Team results: amateur league
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Amateur League
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Game«Prairie Hunters»
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Speed competition
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Image
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Points
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Place
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Points
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Place
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Points
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Place
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1 – highest score
3- lowest score
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Devchata
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38
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2
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4:01
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9
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2
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13
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7
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Adrenalin Russia
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37
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3
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3:34
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3
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2
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8
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2
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Frustyler
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37
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3
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3:54
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7
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2
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12
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6
|
|
Aqua Generals
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35
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5
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3:33
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2
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2
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9
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3
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|
Rimula
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40
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1
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3:26
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1
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2
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4
|
1
|
|
Tellus
|
33
|
6
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4:01
|
9
|
2
|
17
|
9
|
|
Dikie Kiwi
|
36
|
4
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3:44
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5
|
2
|
11
|
5
|
|
Lobzik
|
33
|
6
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3:51
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6
|
2
|
14
|
8
|
|
Pedalki
|
36
|
4
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3:57
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8
|
2
|
14
|
8
|
|
Dvoechniki
|
36
|
4
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3:35
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4
|
2
|
10
|
4
|
|
Blue
|
36
|
4
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4:23
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11
|
2
|
17
|
9
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Roger&Co
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38
|
2
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4:18
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10
|
2
|
14
|
8
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See also:
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