Tour d'Azerbaïdjan
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| File:Tour d’Azerbaïdjan.jpg | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | May |
| Region | Azerbaijan |
| Local name(s) | Tour d'Azerbaïdjan |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | Professional |
| Type | UCI Europe Tour |
| Organiser | Cycling Federation of Azerbaijan, Union Cycliste Internationale, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan |
| History | |
| First edition | 2012 |
| Editions | 5 (as of 2016) |
| First winner |  Youcef Reguigui (ALG) |
| Most wins | No repeat winners |
| Most recent |  Markus Eibegger (AUT) |
Tour d’Azerbaïdjan – is a 2.1 multi-stage bicycle race of the UCI Europe Tour, which takes place in Azerbaijan around May. Each day, participants start on a new phase of the race. The race is held in 7 regions of Azerbaijan and finishes in the capital, Baku.[1] Other large cities the race moves through are: Oguz, Chamakh, Maraza, Ismayilli, Gabala, Sheki.
2012 tour
From 9 to 13 May 2012 the international cycling tour in memory of Heydar Aliyev was held. The tournament was a logical continuation of the last year's event, "Big Caucasus". But unlike its predecessor, it consisted of five stages, and became the first professional cycle event in the history of independent Azerbaijan. The competitions were held under the auspices of the UCI category 2.2 U23 (for athletes under 23 years old).
In general, the race was attended by 180 cyclists, 16 of whom were women. There were 4 national, 4 continental and 12 club teams, 6 cyclists in each. About fifty members of the support staff accompanied the athletes during the race. Male cyclists competed in individual and team competition, women were competing in personal race.
International cycling tour in memory of the national leader Heydar Aliyev started from square Azadlig (Freedom Square) in Baku.
- Women Cycling
The first day of the event included a bicycle race for women. Each female cyclist made it to 25 km. Elena Chalykh from Azerbaijan won the competition. Elena Chalykh, who won the license for the Olympic Games in London, crossed the finish line after making a distance within 34 minutes 57 seconds.
- Stage 1
At the first stage the race was held between the 18 men's teams competed in the 30-kilometer distance. Russian club «Itera Katyusha» won, reaching the finish line in 36 minutes 38 seconds. The Kazakh national team was the second to finish, while the German club «Specialized Concept Store» took third place.
- Stage 2
On May 10, in the second phase of the tour, cyclists reached 176-kilometer distance along the route of the Baku-Ismailly, which included three mountain top peaks on the tops of the Greater Caucasus. The winner of stage 2 was the Spanish cyclist Rubio Hernandez. The first-place winner coped with the distance in 4 hours 41 minutes and 39 seconds. Youcef Reguigi was the leader in the overall standings after the second stage.
- Stage 3
Stage 3 started in Gabala with flat section of 20 kilometers distance length. Then the riders moved to the highlands, to the cities of Sheki and Oguz. In general, leaving behind a difficult 160-kilometer distance, the competitors finish in Gabala. Dmitry Vernidub won the1 place, of the 3 stage of the international cycle tour. The leader of the standings Youcef Reguigi finished right behind the winner with the distance difference of one meter. The third to win was a Ukrainian Maxim Vasiliev, immediately followed by the winner of the 2nd stage - Ruby Hernandez.
- Stage 4
Stage 4 started at Ismailly, then the peloton rode back to Gabala. Within each circle sportsmen reached the peak (the highest point of the tour) of the 798 meters. In general, at this stage, the riders covered the distance of 114 km. Gennady Tatarinov, a cyclist from the Russian team, won the stage. He managed to overcome the distance in 2 hours 41 minutes and 18 seconds. Maxim Vasiliev took 2nd place. Maydos Telegin from Kazakhstan occupied the third place. Youcef Reguigi pinned his leadership in the overall standings.
- Step 5
Participants returned to Baku in order to kick-start the final phase of the competition. At the last stage of the race after the cyclists rode 10 laps through the central streets of Baku before they finished. Nurpolad Gulubetov from Kazakhstan won the 1st place at this stage of the cycle tour. He overcame the distance in 2 hours 57 minutes and 16 seconds. Gennady Tatarinov, the winner of the previous stage, occupied the second place. Issac Cisse from Côte d'Ivoire was the third to cross the finish line.
- Winners
Youcef Reguigi who held the leadership in the overall standings with two stages, remained confident in his position. Algerian athlete, who had a Blue T-shirt, managed to win the race overall individual standings. Maxim Vasiliev, gaining maximum points, received the green jersey of the best sprinter, and Bahtyyar Gozataev became a winner of the mountain category.
In the team competition the first place was taken by the Russian team «Itera Katyusha» (43.51.04), World Cycling Centre was the second (43.51.20), and Ukrainians ISD «Donetsk region» - the third (43.52.50).
Pat McQuade, president of the UCI, expressed a warm welcome and congratulations to the winners, adding that the competition was held at the highest level, in compliance with all international standards. Bicycle Federation of Azerbaijan has made big effort to carry out such an important international event on a high level and in accordance with all international requirements.
2013 tour
Tour d'Azerbaïdjan will start in Baku by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. After completing 11 laps (157 km), the participants finish in front of the Foundation.
At the second stage, the peloton will start from the bike park, located on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Baku, ride towards the Caucasus Mountains, and finish in 183 km in Ismailly. At the third stage the competitors will ride from Gabala through Oguz and go to Sheki, then they will return to Gabala (165 km).
Stage 4 starts in Gabala again, where the peloton will ride to Shamakhi and finish in 116 km in Pirguli, near the famous Observatory.
The final phase, consisting of 12 laps with a total length of 144 km, will be held on the central avenues and streets of the capital of Azerbaijan - Baku.[2]
List of overall winners
| Rider | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | |
Youcef Reguigui (ALG) | Centre Mondial du Cyclisme |
| 2013 |  |
Sergiy Grechyn (UKR) | Torku Şekerspor |
| 2014 |  |
Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) | RusVelo |
| 2015 |  |
Primož Roglič (SLO) | Adria Mobil |
| 2016 | |
Markus Eibegger (AUT) | Felbermayr–Simplon Wels |
