Cycling Tour excitement continues: The winner is Andersen!

In the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, which began on Sunday with the Antalya-Antalya stage, the Turquoise Jersey, which determines the leader of the Individual General Classification, changed hands 4 times before reaching the fifth day. Tobias Andresen of the DSM-Firmenich Team, who finished the Bodrum-Kuşadası stage in first place, carried the Turquoise Jersey throughout the stage. Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck) did not come to the start, and 160 athletes began pedaling for the Kuşadası stage. Thus, 11 cyclists have been unable to continue the race since the beginning of the TOUR. Right at the start, 8 athletes broke away and opened a gap of about 20 seconds, but they were caught by the peloton at the 11th kilometer. On the other hand, it was observed that the peloton was quite active at the front.

6 MORE ATHLETES DROPPED OUT

As the 30th kilometer was left behind, 6 more athletes had to drop out of the race. Thus, the number of cyclists continuing the stage fell to 153. The breakaway group continued to open the gap. The new time difference was given as 4 minutes. Burak Tahir Yiğit, unable to catch the front group, had to continue with the peloton again.

CLIMBING PRIME CONCLUDED

At the 45.7th kilometer of the stage, the climbing prime gate, which awards points from category 3, was passed. The results were announced as follows:

1- Olivier Mattheis (Bike Aid), 2- Michal Pomorski (Mazowsze), 3- Antonio Polga (NovoNordisk)

At the 43rd kilometer, the time difference was 4 minutes and 35 seconds, and at the 60th kilometer, it increased to 5 minutes and 35 seconds. The course was reported as hazy and hot, with a light breeze.

2ND CLIMBING GATE PASSED

At the 67th kilometer of the stage, the final climbing gate, which also awards points from category 3, was left behind. The results were announced as follows:

1-Oliver Mattheis (Bike Aid), 2-Michal Pomorski (Mazowsze), 3-Genki Yamamoto (Kinan)

As the 75th kilometer was passed, the time difference continued to increase. The new time was given as 6 minutes and 15 seconds. At the end of the first 2 hours, the average speed was given as 38.5 km/h. As the sprint gate approached, it was seen that Bora-Hansgrohe, Astana, and DSM-Firmenich athletes were setting the pace at the front of the peloton to catch the breakaway group. It was noteworthy that the Individual General Classification leader Tobias Andresen and Oliver Mattheis were among those setting the pace.

SPRINT PRIME RESULTS

At the 90.1st kilometer of the stage, the sprint gate was passed. The 7-man breakaway group continued to collect points at this gate as well. The results were as follows:

1-Antonio Polga (NovoNordisk), 2-Michal Pomorski (Mazowsze), 3-Mauro Verwilt (Tarlelotto)

PRIME GATE

At the 111th kilometer, the Beauties of Türkiye prime gate was passed. However, the accelerating peloton reduced the time difference with the breakaway group to 1 minute and 40 seconds. 3 hours have passed in the race. The average speed was given as 40 km/h. There are 55 kilometers left to the finish. The results are as follows:

1-Konrad Czabok (Mazowsze), 2-Michal Pomorski (Mazowsze), 3-Jacob Scott (Rembe)

The 7-man group that had formed the front group since the beginning of the stage pedaled until the 4-kilometer mark as they gradually broke apart, and they were caught. The peloton began to arrive as a group towards the finish. The last 400 meters witnessed a truly great struggle, and yesterday's stage winner won the Bodrum-Kuşadası stage as well, securing his 2nd consecutive victory.

The Turquoise Jersey, sponsored by Spor Toto and given to the general classification leader, was won by Tobias Lund Andresen from the DSM-firmenich team. The jersey was presented to the Belgian athlete by Aydın Provincial Director of Youth and Sports Cenap Birlikçioğlu.

JERSEYS FOUND THEIR OWNERS

The Green Jersey, sponsored by Mosso and given to the points classification leader, was won by Giovanni Lonardi from the Polti Kometa Team. The jersey was presented to the athlete by Didim District Governor Can Kazım Kuruca.

The Turkish Airlines Red Jersey, given to the King of the Mountains classification leader, was won by Vinzent Dorn from the Bike Aid team. The jersey was presented to the athlete by Söke District Governor Ali Akçe.

The White Jersey, sponsored by goturkiye.com and given to the leader of the Beauties of Türkiye classification, was won by Vinzent Dorn from the Bike Aid team. The jersey was presented to the athlete by Kuşadası District Governor İbrahim Tekli.

MAIN STAGE WILL BE HELD TOMORROW

The 59th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye will continue tomorrow with the 160.1-kilometer Kuşadası-Manisa (Mount Spil) climbing stage. As in previous years, it is believed that the athlete who wins this stage, referred to as the "Queen Stage," will largely guarantee the 2024 championship. Eyes are now on the climbing specialists for this mountain stage, which sprinter cyclists do not particularly enjoy.