Australian cyclist Sam Welsford of Dutch Team DSM clinched the Manisa-Ayvalık stage of the 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye on Thursday.

Welsford won the 192-kilometer stage with a timing of 4 hours 13 minutes 49 seconds. He was followed by 3rd stage winner Jasper Philipsen from Belgium's Alpecin-Fenix ​​team. Arvid de Kleijn from the USA's Human Powered Health team came in third.

However, team Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli’s Argentine rider Eduardo Sepulveda, who completed yesterday's Izmir-Manisa stage in the first place continued to lead the overall ranking.

The 30-year-old cyclist, who is 10 seconds ahead of his closest competitor, will wear the turquoise jersey on Friday.

The race will embark on a historic journey Friday as the 204-kilometer Edremit-Eceabat route takes riders across continents over the newly opened 1915 Çanakkale Bridge before ending at the 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial in Eceabat.

The memorial is dedicated to the fallen from the Ottoman 57th Infantry Regiment who died during the Gallipoli campaign during World War I.

Remaining three stages

Stage 6: Edremit (Akçay)-Eceabat (57. Alay Şehitliği): 205 kilometers

Stage 7: Gelibolu-Tekirdağ: 135 kilometers

Stage 8: Istanbul-Istanbul: 136 kilometers