The Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye came to an end today in Izmir. On the final stage, Matteo Malucelli of XDS Astana Team sprinted to victory, adding to the team’s three previous stage wins (Lev Gonov – Stage 3, Wout Poels – Stage 4, Harold Martín López – Stage 6).
“I really wanted to win here. I was close on the first stage, and yesterday I was not far off either. Today, everything worked out. This is my second win of the season after my stage victory at the Tour of Hainan, and I’m not planning to stop here. I’m happy to finally be riding for a WorldTour team after so many years — I believe I earned this opportunity and I’ll do my best to make the most of it”, – said Matteo Malucelli.
Wout Poels secured overall victory in the General Classification and also won the best climber’s jersey.
“It’s fantastic to win the GC at such an important race. The whole team worked incredibly hard to get me onto the final podium with the trophy in hand. We had an amazing race — several stage wins including today’s by Matteo, strong control on the climbs, first and second place overall, and the mountain classification. There was great chemistry between riders and staff, strong support, and as a result — a big success for all of us. Since joining XDS Astana Team, I’ve felt part of a family, and now the wins are coming. We’ve earned important WorldTour points. I think this was a perfect week heading into the Giro d’Italia”, – said Wout Poels.
Harold Martín López completed XDS Astana Team’s dominance at the Tour of Turkey by finishing second overall.
“I’m very happy with the result we achieved here in Turkey. I’ve worked hard to get into this kind of form, and everything has gone in the right direction since returning from injury. One of the key factors was definitely the team’s support. This race came together perfectly for us — stage wins and overall success. The atmosphere was great, our X-LAB bikes performed amazingly, and we showed we can win in both sprints and mountains. I’m incredibly proud to be part of XDS Astana Team”, – added Harold Martín López.
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