Lev Gonov claims surprise victory in stage 3 of 60th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye
Lev Gonov (M) of the XDS Astana team celebrates winning the Fethiye-Marmaris 3rd stage, with Belgian cyclist Lander Loockx (L) of the Tietema Rockets team finishing second and Dutch rider Tibor Del Grosso (R) of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team taking third place, at the 60th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye in Antalya on April 29, 2025. (AA Photo)
Lev Gonov claimed a surprise win Tuesday in the third stage of the 60th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye.
The 25-year-old Russian rider completed the 175.9-kilometer (108-mile) Fethiye-Marmaris route in 4 hours, 22 minutes and 44 seconds, finishing ahead of a field of 160 cyclists.
“Winning this stage was a big surprise and made me very happy,” Gonov said at a post-race news conference. “I thank my team and the super staff we have. It was a hard stage and a hard fight for the sprint victory.”
He said the team’s strategy focused on supporting their general classification (GC) riders, but he seized an opportunity for a stage win.
“Our tactic was mostly to support our GC riders and then, in case of an opportunity, to try and win the stage. I tried and I won! Nicolas Vinokurov gave me a great lead-out so I only sprinted in the last 200 meters,” he said.
Gonov’s 1st and biggest win with XDS-Astana
The victory marked Gonov’s first win with XDS-Astana and the biggest of his professional career.
“I still ride on the track, so I’ll target the European championships on the road and time trial this year, as well as the individual pursuit at the world championships in Chile later this year,” he added. “Tomorrow I’ll take it easy, but I hope for Wout Poels or Harold Martin Lopez to win the climbers’ stage.”
Lander Loockx of Tietema Rockets finished second, while Tibor Del Grosso from Alpecin-Deceuninck placed third.
Del Grosso, 21, retained the Turquoise Jersey, awarded to the leader of the general classification.
The eight-day race continues Wednesday with the Marmaris-Akyaka (Kiran) stage.
Starting in Antalya on Sunday, riders will cover 1,153 kilometers (716 miles) across eight stages, passing through top Turkish tourist destinations such as Kemer, Kalkan, Fethiye, Marmaris, Akyaka, Aydin, Kusadasi, Selcuk and Cesme before concluding in the Aegean city of Izmir on May 4.
The tour, originally launched as the Marmara Tour in 1963, gained international status in 1965 and was brought under presidential authority in 1966. It is now one of the region’s most prestigious cycling events, organized annually by the Turkish Cycling Federation.
