The opening stage of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey culminated in a fast finish with Andrea Peron contesting the bunch sprint. The 36-year-old continued his fine race form from Ronde van Limburg two weeks ago, where he placed 12th by finishing tenth today.

Filippo Ridolfo formed part of the day’s early escape, giving Team Novo Nordisk great visibility throughout the day. The team’s objective was to send someone on the attack and contest the sprint, and both were achieved.  

“The plan was to go to Matyas today, but he has been suffering from illness so if he didn’t feel good then I needed to go for the sprint,” Peron said. 

“I lost position before the last corner because I didn’t want to risk a crash as is very likely in my experience, so after that I needed to make up positions to get back to the front. It’s great to know the legs are still there but at my age now it’s weighing up risks, which I try to limit. Let’s see what we get in the next few days.”

Ridolfo explained that while Peron and Matyas Kopecky were protected riders, it was up to the rest of the team to force a move early in the stage. “The breakthrough formed quite early on with one of the first attacks of the day. That was not too hard. I tried to take seconds in the intermediate sprints but I messed it up unforutnately and got fourth in them but that’s racing. Then I kept rolling and was one of two guys to be caught with 15km to go. A breakaway and top 10 is a great way for us to start this race so it all worked out.“

Stage 2 will see the first bit of climbing introduced to the race from Kemer to Kalkan over 167.4km.

Stage 2 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey finished with an uplhill sprint in Kalkan. Approximately half the peloton made it to the finish to contest the sprint, with Matyas Kopecky leading Team Novo Nordisk home in 41st.

The 22-year-old is recovering from illness and was seen paying close attention to the front of the peloton, always in the front ten in the final 15 kilometers. 

A breakaway of five riders spent a large portion of the day out front and were given a maximum gap of just over 2 minutes. The 167 kilometer stage from Kemer to Kalkan saw the first climbs of the day. 

“I was happy to be in the front but disappointed that I couldn’t contest the sprint. I had high hopes paying close attention to the moves in the final but when the road kicked up, I just didn’t have what it took to today,” Kopecky said. 

“Yesterday the race started well for us with Andrea getting a top 10 and Filippo in the breakaway and I think there will be many more opportunities for us to come this week.”

Stage 3 is from Fetiye to Marmaris over 175.9km with another sprint finish expected. 

Stage 3 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey marked a season-best performance for Filippo Ridolfo, as the young Italian sprinted to an impressive 10th place. Earlier in the race, Ridolfo was the driving force behind the breakaway on stage 1 and was only caught with 15km to go – an early sign of strong form.

Today, the 23-year-old showed remarkable grit and determination, surviving a series of short, steep climbs and relentless attacks in the final to contest the sprint from a heavily reduced peloton.

A seven-rider breakaway formed early in the stage, and although Filippo initially aimed to be part of it, he quickly adapted when he missed the move.

Filippo Ridolfo:

“It was a really good day. The plan was for me to get into the breakaway, but the start was tough and the move went on a small climb where I just couldn’t hold on. I switched the plan to support Matyas and Andrea, but the first part of the race stayed fairly straightforward until about 60km to go, when the road began to rise with some very steep climbs.

The steepest was around 40km from the finish. At the top, Matyas, Alessandro and I lost contact with the front group, but thankfully we managed to regroup on the descent. I checked in with Matyas to see how he was feeling, and when he said he wasn’t great, we both focused on surviving and seeing who could stay with the leaders.

I was right on the limit, but Matyas shouted over the radio for me to go for it. I gave everything I had to hang on and contest the sprint. I didn’t have the best legs, but getting a top 10 for the team means a lot- I’m really happy with that.”

Stage 4 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey proved to be the most grueling challenge of the race so far. The day’s route launched almost immediately into a demanding ascent from the start line in Marmaris, ultimately accumulating a punishing 2,961 meters of climbing. The stage concluded with a mountaintop finish in Akyaka, testing the endurance and strategy of every rider in the peloton.

Italian rider Filippo Ridolfo, who delivered a strong performance with a 10th place finish on the previous stage, described the day’s racing as explosive – made even more unpredictable by rain that added an extra layer of complexity to the already difficult terrain. Despite feeling strong, Ridolfo made the tactical decision to hold back and preserve his energy for upcoming stages that better suit his strengths. He ultimately led Team Novo Nordisk home in 48th place, keeping the bigger picture in focus.

Beyond the race itself, the day carried a deeper emotional significance for the riders of Team Novo Nordisk – the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team. Before the stage began, the team had the opportunity to meet a group of children living with type 1 diabetes in Turkey. 

Moments like these serve as powerful reminders of the team’s mission: to inspire, educate, and empower everyone affected by diabetes around the world. For the riders, connecting with young fans who share their diagnosis brings a sense of purpose that goes far beyond the finish line.

Filippo Ridolfo shared his thoughts after the stage:

“It was a really tough day right from the beginning. The stage opened with a climb, and the group split pretty early on. David and I were close to the front initially, but once the rain came down, things got even more dangerous. There were a lot of crashes on the descents, so we chose to ride more conservatively and save our legs for the next stages, which we believe will suit us better.”

“Before the stage, we had the chance to meet some children living with type 1 diabetes. They had great questions and it was really meaningful to spend a few minutes chatting with them. This is what our team is all about – we race to show what’s possible with diabetes, and moments like that remind us why we do what we do. It was a special way to start the day.”

The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey continued on Friday after the cancellation of Thursday’s stage. The start of yesterday’s race was originally neutralized before the organizers called it off altogether due to bad weather. 

The race resumed today with Selçuk playing host to the start and finish 156km later. With opportunities running out, it took a breakaway over an hour to go. Five riders escaped and were never given more than a 2-minute advantage. 

“We had crosswinds at one point and the group split,” Andrea Peron said. “I was in the front group but I knew this uphill finish did not suit me so I was just trying to stay safe and get to the finish as efficiently as possible. Filippo crashed today but managed to finish so we will see the last two days how we can finish the race on the high that we started it. The team is motivated to finish strong.”

The Italian was the first Team Novo Nordisk rider home in 42nd position. More climbing can be expected in tomorrow’s penultimate stage from Selçuk to Çeşme with the highest point just under 30 kilometers from the finish.

Stage 7 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey ran from Selçuk to Çeşme, covering 144 kilometers. A breakaway of seven riders formed with 129 kilometers to go, including David Lozano of Team Novo Nordisk. They were later joined by another rider.

The breakaway was allowed a maximum advantage of 4 minutes and 25 seconds before being reeled in. A climb at 29 kilometers to go thinned the peloton into a smaller group, from which the stage winner eventually emerged.

A crash inside the final 2 kilometers took Andrea Peron out of contention for a result. The Italian rider was able to complete the stage.

David Lozano:
“With what I had, I think I played it okay. The week before the race I was feeling pretty good—good numbers, good training, good rest. On the first stage, I actually felt strong and dropped the guys off with 3 kilometers to go, which is a good sign for me.

On the second stage, I started feeling stomach cramps, and since then it’s been pretty tough. I’ve had a lot of stomach issues and haven’t been eating or drinking as much as I need to.

Today, I gave what I had, and I’m happy to check off the first breakaway of the season, even if I’m not in the shape I was hoping for. In the end, we have to play with what we have in each moment. Tomorrow is the last stage, so I’ll try to recover well and we’ll see how it goes.”

The race concludes tomorrow with Stage 8 from Çeşme to İzmir—a shorter day at 105.7 kilometers.

Stage 8 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey was the shortest of the race, taking the weary peloton from Çeşme to İzmir over 105 kilometers. With its short and flat profile, a small breakaway was allowed up the road but never gained more than over a minute’s advantage.

With limited opportunities for the sprinters throughout the week, the teams with fast finishers took control, ensuring a bunch sprint to close out the race. Andrea Peron, who had already secured a top-ten finish earlier in the tour, was the first Team Novo Nordisk rider across the line, finishing 32nd.

Andrea Peron:
“I’ve been feeling really good the last few days. Today, I tried to stay up there without taking too many risks, but it was tough. We’ve had three fairly big crashes over the last few days, so it hasn’t been ideal -half the team is carrying injuries. I did what I could in the final and I’m just happy to have finished safely. There are definitely positives we can take from this race, and also areas we can build on as we head into the next block of racing.”

Vassili Davidenko (General Manager):
“We came to Turkey with a mix of youth and experience, and this race gave us a little bit of everything – good results, bad luck, illness, crashes, even a cancelled stage due to weather. That’s stage racing. We take home a couple of top-tens and breakaway efforts. Most importantly, we had the chance to meet children living with type 1 diabetes in Turkey. They asked thoughtful questions and our riders had the opportunity to inspire them before Stage 4. This event is always well-organized, and we’re already looking forward to coming back next year.”