XDS Astana Development Team's Fofonov takes 3rd on Tour of Istanbul opener

The 165.1-kilometre stage started in Silivri and finished in Çatalca. Fofonov was among the strongest riders in the finale and delivered a solid performance to cross the finish line in third place, securing a podium result on the opening day of the Turkish stage race.

Fofonov noted that it had been a good race, particularly as it was his first time competing in Turkiye. He explained that the riders stayed together for most of the day, helping each other and riding as a group. Toward the finale, however, the race became more chaotic with attacks coming from different directions.  

"First Gustav (Wang) went up the road, and then I bridged across to him. We had a group of around ten riders and worked really well together. Gustav helped me a lot, taking control of the group and keeping the pace high. With one kilometre to go, four of us managed to get clear and then fought for the finish. A lot of strong riders were there, so I’m happy with third place. Now it’s important to recover well and see how the next stages develop. There is already a gap in the general classification, so we’ll see which teams want to control the race and how things play out. We’ll take it day by day, and hopefully the whole team can continue showing itself well and keep working together like this throughout the week," said he. 

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakh beach volleyball players defeated Oman at the Asian Championships in Shangluo, China.