Jasper Philipsen emerges victorious in Tour of Türkiye’s Fethiye-Marmaris stage
150 cyclists from 24 teams took part in the fourth stage of the Tour of Turkey, which was organized by the Turkish Cycling Federation with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The race started in Fethiye and ended in Marmaris, covering a distance of 165.3 kilometers. The stage witnessed a sprint finish, with Jasper Philipsen from the Belgian Alpecin-Deceuninck team claiming first place with a time of 3.50.17. Timothy Dupont from the Belgian Tarteletto-Isorex team secured second place, while Giovanni Lonardi from Italy’s EOLO-Kometa team finished third.
Philipsen’s victory in the fourth stage marked his 18th stage win this year. The 25-year-old cyclist, who also won the green jersey in the Tour de France, has now won 15 stages in the Tour of Turkey. His latest victory allowed him to surpass Tadej Pogacar in terms of stage victories in UCI events.
As for the general classification, Alexey Lutsenko from Kazakhstan’s Astana team maintained his leadership. Lutsenko will wear the turquoise jersey as the general classification leader in the upcoming stage from Marmaris to Bodrum. Philipsen will continue to wear the green jersey for the sprint leader, while Lutsenko will keep the red jersey as the climb leader. The white swimsuit, representing the leader of Turkey’s beauties, is currently worn by Robigzon Oyola from Colombia’s Medellin-EPM team.
The Tour of Turkey is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, with flag celebrations held at each stage. Folk dances and flag shows took place in both Fethiye and Marmaris, and the Turkish flag was prominently displayed during a Jet Ski demonstration at sea.
The hot weather during the race proved to be a challenge for the athletes and spectators alike, with temperatures reaching approximately 30 degrees Celsius.
Looking ahead, the fifth stage of the Tour of Turkey will be from Marmaris to Bodrum. This stage is the second longest in the race, covering a distance of 180.6 kilometers. Cyclists will face climbs of up to 750 meters before a flat sprint finish in Yalıkavak Marina.
Jasper Philipsen, the winner of the fourth stage, expressed his happiness at having a successful season and his desire to become the cyclist with the most stage victories in Turkey. He mentioned that he loves the Tour of Turkey and hopes to continue competing in future editions.
Alexey Lutsenko, the current general classification leader, acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining his jersey and spoke about the challenges he faced during the race. He praised his teammates for their hard work in protecting his position and expressed his satisfaction with their performance.
The Tour of Turkey continues to provide thrilling races and exciting moments for both cyclists and fans. As the competition progresses, the battle for stage victories and the general classification will undoubtedly intensify, promising more thrilling moments in the days to come.
