The 58th Presidential Cycling Tour, also known as the Tour of Türkiye, reached its exhilarating conclusion in Istanbul on Sunday.
In an electrifying spectacle, the cyclists embarked on a 130.5-kilometer (81.09-mile) journey from Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square, marking the grand finale of this prestigious event orchestrated by the Turkish Cycling Federation under the patronage of the Presidency, with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
With the Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak providing the starting signal at Hagia Sophia Square, the athletes navigated their way from Ahırkapı to Kennedy Street, crossing continents as they traversed the Eurasian (Avrasya) Tunnel.
Their route took them through iconic Istanbul neighborhoods, including Üsküdar, Harem, Kuzguncuk, Beylerbeyi, Çengelköy, Kuleli, Kandilli, Kanlıca and onward to Beykoz.
After reaching Anadolu Feneri, the cyclists descended back to the coast, heading toward the majestic 15 Temmuz Şehitler bridge, a key point in their journey.
From there, the race journeyed to the European Side, winding through Barbaros Street, Beşiktaş, Karaköy, Galata Bridge, and, finally, culminating back in the Historic Peninsula in Sultanahmet.
This challenging 8-stage, 1235.1-kilometer odyssey witnessed the world's best cyclists facing off against each other.
The stage's thrilling sprint finish saw Jasper Philipsen of the Belgian Alpecin-Deceuninck team emerge victorious, crossing the finish line with a time of two hours, 57 minutes and 28 seconds.
This remarkable win marked Philipsen's fourth stage victory in the Tour of Türkiye 2023 and his seventh overall.
Dutch cyclist Cees Bol, representing Astana, claimed the second position, while Italy's Giovanni Lonardi from EOLO-Kometa secured third place, showcasing the international flavor of this prestigious event.
Notably, the Tour of Türkiye stands as the world's first intercontinental cycling tour, and this year's edition demonstrated this uniqueness admirably.
The race's starting point at Hagia Sophia Square marked the commencement of the intercontinental journey.
Cyclists crossed continents twice, thanks to the extraordinary Eurasia Tunnel, shuttling them from Europe to Asia and back, a feat that sets this event apart from any other.
The pivotal moment in determining the general classification leader in Tour of Türkiye 2023 unfolded during the challenging Fethiye-Fethiye (Babadağ) stage.
On this grueling third day, cyclists faced the daunting "Queen" stage, the Babadağ climb, which saw Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan's Astana team conquer the race with unmatched prowess.
Lutsenko's monumental victory was accompanied by a substantial time difference from his competitors.
This stage marked his sole stage triumph in Tour of Türkiye 2023, yet it proved pivotal as he maintained his leadership until the very end.
Lutsenko's dominant performance culminated in him securing the coveted turquoise jersey, awarded to the leader of the general classification, with an impressive total time of 30 hours, six minutes, and 58 seconds.
Ben Zwiehoff of Germany's Bora-Hansgrohe secured second place in the general classification, trailing Lutsenko by a mere 26 seconds, while Harold Tejada, also from Astana, secured the third position, 51 seconds behind the leader.
Belgian sprinter, Jasper Philipsen, added further glory to his name by clinching the green jersey, a symbol of the best sprinter in the competition.
Philipsen, part of the Belgian Alpecin-Deceuninck team, achieved this honor for the third consecutive year, following his victories in Tour 2021 and 2022.
Jay Vine, the Australian athlete representing UAE Team Emirates, triumphed as the best climber of Tour 2023.
Vine's stellar performance not only secured him the "King of the Mountains" title but also a stage victory in the Tour.
In the final stage, the white jersey, representing the beauties of Türkiye, found its rightful owner in Belgian Mauro Verwilt from Belgium's Tarteletto-Isorex team, thanks to the points he accumulated in this fiercely contested tour.
Additionally, the team rankings for the 58th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye were as follows:
Bora-Hansgrohe (Germany)
Green Project-Bardiani-Faizine (Italy)
Burgos-BiH (Spain)
Notably, Belgian sprinter cyclist Jasper Philipsen achieved an extraordinary milestone by securing his 19th stage victory this year.
The 25-year-old cyclist, who had previously won the green jersey in the Tour de France, arrived in Türkiye with 15 stage victories under his belt.
Philipsen's outstanding performance, which included victories in the Alanya-Antalya, Kemer-Kalkan, Fethiye-Marmaris stages, and the final stage, propelled him to his remarkable 19th stage victory in UCI organizations this year, surpassing Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar's record of 17 stage victories before the Tour of Türkiye.
