46th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey Ends

While the 46th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey ended with the superiority of Italian athlete Giovanni VISCONTI from ISD-NERI team, riders who covered up to 1257 kilometres in 8 days once more admired the beauties of Turkey.

General Individual Classification

1- Giovanni VISCONTI ISD-NERI 32.42.28
2- Tejay VAN GARDEREN Columbia 32.42.67
3- David MONCOUTIE Cofidis 32.43.01

Secretary General of Presidency Mustafa İSEN presented the award of Andre GREIPEL, Director General of Youth and Sport Yunus AKGÜL presented the award of Angelo FURLAN who ranked second, Governor of Antalya Alaaddin YÜKSEL presented the award of Kenny Roberts VAN HUMMEL who ranked third. Mustafa İSEN also presented the award to General Individual Classification leader VISCONTI. President of Turkish Cycling Federation Emin MÜFTÜOĞLU presented the award to owner of the green jersey GREIPEL, District Governor of Alanya Hulusi DOĞAN presented the award to owner of the red jersey Remi PAURIOL from Cofidis, and Mayor of Alanya Hasan SİPAHİOĞLU presented the award to owner of the white jersey Christophe KERN from Cofidis.

Sayar and Harmancı finished

From Turkish National Team number of which decreased to two athletes in the middle of the Tour, Mustafa SAYAR ranked 62nd with 33.26.25 and Fatih HARMANCI ranked 83rd with 34.05.37. These two athletes who reached to finish without any support by displaying an excellent performance gained rightful appreciation.

General Team Classification

1- ISD – NERİ 98.16.45
2- COFIDIS 98.17.43
3- COLUMBİA 98.18.40

Award and Money Rain

Through the 1257 km long total race, onehundredfiftytwo thousand sevenhundredtwentyfive (152.725 EURO) monetary award was distributed. Total monetary award distributed to first 20 athletes in every stage was 12.400 EURO. Only 99.200 EURO had been distributed through 8 stages. The monetary award the first three took in every stage was like this:
1- 4.955 EURO
2- 2.506 EURO
3- 1.237 EURO


At the end of the race, the amount of the money given to the first three of General Individual Classification was like this:
1- 17.343 EURO
2- 8.771 EURO
3- 4.330 EURO

As can be understood from this picture, athlete of Columbia Andre GREIPEL who won 5 stages in the 46th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey and rider of ISD-NERI Giovanni VISCONTI had been able to win thousands of EUROS other than the cup and medals.

Visconti, “For the first time in my life I won a tour” Rider of ISD-NERI team Giovanni VISCONTI who grabbed the General Individual Classification leadership said “It had been an interesting experience for me. For the first time in my life, I won a tour. My team mates have a very big contribution in this.” at the press conference held after the stage.

Visconti responded the question “Did your afraid to lose the race?” like this: “No I didn’t. Cofidis team made many attempts. But they couldn’t succeed. I was scared of Cofidis and a few team players; I only concerned to make an accident in today’s sprint. Generally it was a very good race.” At the conference which was in the form of question-answer, Visconti expressed the following: 

QUESTION: Do you regret for not participating to the Tour of Italy? 

VISCONTI: I don’t have such regret. After this I want to run Tour of Italy and France. I am intended to be in the big races.

QUESTION: After this, in the remaining part of the season, can you win stage again? 

VISCONTI: It was not only because I am not experienced enough in the tour races, I haven’t really tried to be leader in the general classification. 3 years ago in the Tour of Italy I carried pink jersey for 8 days. In the Tour of Turkey I felt better. 

QUESTION: Is it hard to grab the turquoise Jersey or to keep it? 

VISCONTI: It was not hard. It is necessary to experience this spirit. 

QUESTION: What will you tell your family and your friends when you go back home? 

VISCONTI: I will tell my family and my friends that I want to go to Turkey again.

Information: http://www.tourofturkey.org/ShowNews?id=23

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46th PRESIDENTIAL CYCLING TOUR OF TURKEY (11-18 APRIL 2010)

Presidential Tour of Turkey Becomes Bigger

Due to the hard work of the organizers and the success of the past two editions, the Presidential Tour of Turkey will feature a better line up than ever from April 11 to 18. Despite the competition with many other races at this time of the year, it will be an important event of the Spring cycling season broadcasted live on Eurosport International for two hours daily.

 

In a period of only three years, race promoters Emin Müftuoglu and Abdurrahaman Acikalin have considerably developed the Presidential Tour of Turkey. They took up the challenge to attract big teams to an unknown event in 2008. Teams managers have since reported positively about the safety for the riders, the beauty of the landscapes, the nice climate, the high standard of accommodation and the propensity of the organisers to listen to their wishes.

Therefore, the 2010 Presidential Tour of Turkey will feature a course that is even more suitable for the preparation of the Ardennes classics and the Giro d’Italia. Rather than a criterium, Istanbul will host a prologue. The 5.8-km individual time trial will be held alongside the bank of the Bosphorus and up to the historical site of Sultanahmet where the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are neighbours.

Following the usual transfer to Kusadasi, the route will follow the coasts of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas to reach Alanya on April 18. Two new mountainous and difficult stages will modify the profile of the overall champion. It augurs an interesting battle between the strongest riders to succeed South Africa’s Daryl Impey who was the winner last year.

Peter Sagan, revelation of Paris-Nice at the age of only 20, will be the hot favourite of a race that also features the recent winner of the Tour of Murcia, Frantisek Rabon of HTC-Columbia. Cofidis will enter the Tour of Turkey for the first time with no less than the king of the mountain of the past two Vuelta a Espana David Moncoutié, Paris-Nice’s last stage winner Amaël Moinard, Rémi Pauriol and Estonian sensation Rein Taaramae. The winner of the 2008 Presidential Tour of Turkey David Garcia Dapena will be back in action while Italian teams will be represented by some of their most interesting up and coming riders such as former national champion Giovanni Visconti, former U23 world champion for time trial Adriano Malori, climbers Filippo Savini and Simon Spilak who hails from Slovenia.

The list of the sprinters lining up in Istanbul is also impressive with Andre Greipel who has already won six races in 2010, Daniele Bennati, Francesco Chicchi, Mattia Gavazzi, Mark Renshaw, Kenny Van Hummel, Luciano Pagliarini, Michele Merlo, Vidal Celis, Francisco Ventoso, Sebasian Siedler, Oscar Gatto and Krzysztof Jezowski.

From April 11 to 18, the Presidential Tour of Turkey is expected to prove himself coming of age.

For more information: http://www.tourofturkey.org/

Stages

Stage 1 – Istanbul Prologue : 11 April 2010, 5.8 km

Stage 2 – Kusadasi – Turgutreis : 12 April 2010, 181.0 km

Stage 3 – Bodrum – Marmaris : 13 April 2010, 166.0 km

Stage 4 – Marmaris – Pamukkale : 14 April 2010, 209.0 km

Stage 5 – Denizli – Fethiye : 15 April 2010, 221.0 km

Stage 6 – Fethiye – Finike : 16 April 2010, 194.0 km

Stage 7 – Finike – Antalya : 17 April 2010, 114.0 km

Stage 8 – Antalya – Alanya : 18 April 2010, 166.0 km

Professional Teams
Footon - Servetto	FOT
Lampre - Farnese Vini	LAM
Liquigas - Doimo	LIQ
Team HTC - Columbia	THR
Pro Continental Teams
Vorarlberg - Corratec	VBG
Scott - Marcondes Cesar - Sao Jose dos Campos	SJC
Xacobeo - Galicia	XAC
Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	COF
Carmiooro - NGC	CMO
Colnago - CSF Inox	CSF
De Rosa - Stac Plastic	DER
ISD - Neri	ISD
Skil - Shimano	SKS
CCC - Polsat - Polkowice	CCC
National Teams
Turkish National Team	TUR

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