ISTANBUL
Tibor Del Grosso of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team on Monday claimed victory in the second stage of 60th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye.
The 21-year-old Dutch rider completed the 167.4 km (104-mile) Kemer-Kalkan track in three hours, 58 minutes and 40 seconds ahead of 159 cyclists.
Del Grosso captured the Turquoise jersey, worn by the general classification (GC) leader, also racking up his first professional stage win.
Giovanni Lonardi of Team Polti Visitmalta came second, while Lander Loockx of Tietema Rockets claimed third.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck team from Belgium congratulated Del Grosso on his victory, saying on X: "After Simon Dehairs’ victory yesterday, it was @tibordelgrosso’s turn to claim his first professional win today! Our youngster is also the new GC leader."
"In a sprint from a reduced peloton, Tibor outpaced everyone to take the win. Once again, thanks to fantastic teamwork. Well done, guys!" it added.
On Sunday, Simon Dehairs of Belgium won the opening stage, and the eight-day race will continue with the Fethiye-Marmaris leg on Tuesday.
Starting in Antalya on Sunday, cyclists have been covering 1,153 kilometers (716 miles) over eight stages, riding through renowned Turkish tourism hotspots such as Kemer, Kalkan, Fethiye, Marmaris, Akyaka, Aydin, Kusadasi, Selcuk, and Cesme, before reaching the finish line in the Aegean city of Izmir on May 4.
The Turkish Cycling Federation has been organizing the tour, earlier known as the Marmara Tour, since 1963. It gained international status in 1965 and was brought under presidential authority in 1966, as it became one of the region’s most prestigious races.
