New Zealand cyclist Patrick Bevin wins 7th leg of Tour of Turkiye

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) – New Zealand cyclist Patrick Bevin won the seventh leg of the 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkiye on Saturday.

Bevin, who rides for Israel-Premier Tech, finished the race in three hours, 21 minutes, and two seconds at the 135.3-kilometer (84-mile) Gelibolu-Tekirdag track in western Turkiye.

The 31-year-old moved to the top of the tour's overall standings with this win.

Alpecin-Fenix's Jay Vine trailed two seconds behind Bevin, and Arkea Samsic's Nicolas Edet came third, four seconds behind the leader.

The seventh stage, which hosted 153 participants from 25 teams, kicked off in the historic Gallipoli Peninsula and ended in the northwestern Tekirdag province.

The eight-stage tour of Turkiye spans a total distance of 1,303 km (810 mi) and will culminate in Istanbul on Sunday.

The Turkish Cycling Federation has been organizing the tour, earlier known as the Marmara Tour, since 1963. It gained international status in 1965 and was taken under presidential authority in 1966.

The race is being broadcast live on TRT Spor Yildiz and Eurosport, and Anadolu Agency is among the sponsors of the global event.