L’Étape Türkiye by Tour de France was held in Istanbul

The 109 km long course was completed in 3:26:02 by Şeniz Pamuk in the women’s race while Anton Hrabovskyi completed the course in 2:55:05 in the men’s race. Both athletes earned the title of general classification leader and won the iconic yellow jersey of the Tour de France.

The winner of the 59 km short course was Gökçe Demirsoy in the women’s race with a time of 1:43:38, and Murat Uslu in the men’s race with a time of 1:36:35.

The start of the race was given by the France Ambassador Isabella Dumont, Turkish Cycling Federation President Emin Müftüoğlu, Vice President Metin Cengiz, Istanbul Youth and Sports Provincial Deputy Director Seyda Dursun, Visa Turkey Marketing President Ülkü Yüksel, Türkiye İş Bankası Individual Banking Marketing Director Çağlar İlter, Beyaz Kağıt Marketing Director Zeynep Kahraman, Doğan Trend Automotive Group CEO Kağan Dağtekin, Oğuz Holding CEO Enes Öner, L’Étape by Tour de France Project Manager Mathieu Clanchin, and 78 Event General Manager Ömer Kafkas.

The athletes’ first stop on the European side was Rumeli Hisarı, built by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror during the preparations for the conquest of Istanbul in the 15th century. Advancing towards the finish line with the magnificent view of the Bosphorus, the cyclists headed toward Polonezköy and experienced a unique race as they passed through Riva, famous for its natural coastline extending to the cool waters of the Black Sea.

L’Étape brought the spirit of the Tour de France to Turkey, and the General Classification Leaders claimed the yellow jerseys. Şeniz Pamuk from Rise Performance Club completed the long course in 3:26:02, while Anton Hrabovskyi from Asperox BikePedia Racing Team finished the course in 2:55:05, both athletes secured the yellow jersey and the race victory.

The cyclists, who started pedaling from Küçüksu Pavilion, passed the sprint bonus gate at kilometer 9.8 on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. Cengiz Güner, who completed the 500-meter distance at MG’s sprint gate in 37 seconds, also earned the title of the fastest intercontinental cyclist.

At kilometer 37.5, the peloton split towards the Asperox King of the Mountains bonus gate in Kavacık, and the breakaway group drew attention. The climbers’ effort on this challenging course was a moment of strength and endurance, just like Asperox’s superior performance in tough conditions. Anton Hrabovskyi was the fastest to complete the 1.3 km distance in 3 minutes and 21 seconds, securing the polka dot jersey as the best climber.

After the grand finish, the top athletes took their places on the podium. France Ambassador Isabella Dumont presented the yellow jersey to General Classification Leader Anton Hrabovskyi.

Şeniz Pamuk, the female yellow jersey winner, received her award from the Istanbul Deputy Governor Ünal Kılıçarslan.

The awards for the top athletes in the women’s short course were presented by the Turkish Cycling Federation President and Vice President Metin Cengiz.

Long Course Women (Athlete, Team, Time)
1. Şeniz Pamuk, Rise Performance Club, 3:26:02
2. Züleyha Dikbaş, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 3:46:39
3. Aslıhan İkizoğlu Dinç, Yüzbinkoş, 3:50:04

Long Course Men (Athlete, Team, Time)
1. Anton Hrabovskyi, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 2:55:05
2. Gökhan Uzuntaş, Independent, 2:56:54
3. Ege Onat Doğuşlu, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 3:02:17

Short Course Women (Athlete, Team, Time)
1. Gökçe Demirsoy, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 1:43:38
2. Aylin Yüce, 1:46:43
3. Sevcan Alper Özcan, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 1:51:19

Short Course Men (Athlete, Team, Time)
1. Murat Uslu, Kırlangıç Cycling Club, 1:36:35
2. Cengiz Güner, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 1:36:36
3. Melih Taş, Asperox BikePedia Racing Team, 1:36:37

Türkiye İş Bankası Individual Banking Marketing Director Çağlar İlter stated that İş Bankası has taken on various responsibilities in sports, education, culture and arts, and science since its establishment, adding, “By supporting different sports, we both promote sports to the masses and encourage the discovery of new talents. We are delighted to bring the spirit of the Tour de France to our country for the first time, alongside our brand Maximiles Black and our partner Visa, and to be a part of this unique event that offers an opportunity to promote the natural and historical beauty of Istanbul to the world. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the race with over 3,000 cyclists from more than 50 countries.”

Visa Turkey Marketing President Ülkü Yüksel said, “We are pleased to extend our support for athletes and sports by including this prestigious event being held in our country for the first time. As we celebrate Visa’s 40th year in Turkey, it is a great honor for us to be a part of this event, which offers a unique opportunity to promote Turkey as an important destination for sports tourism, alongside our title sponsorship with İş Bankası Maximiles Black.”

Beyaz Kağıt Marketing Director Zeynep Kahraman stated, “As a 100% domestic company, we have consistently supported cycling with our Asperox brand since 2021 for a more sustainable and cleaner world. Our Asperox Bike Pedia Cycling Team has achieved successes in major races like Gran Fondo, Turkey’s largest road cycling race, standing on 172 podiums to date. Now, we are proud to be one of the main sponsors of L’Étape Türkiye, the world’s most prestigious and largest cycling event. With the motto ‘We pedal for a cleaner world,’ we will continue to support cycling sports in the future.”