The First Stage of Tour of Istanbul 2026 was Completed in Silivri-Çatalca, Baptiste Vadic Became the Leader

On the first day of the four-stage race, the longest track of the tour, 165 kilometers Silivri-Çatalca, was passed. Baptiste Vadic, athlete of the French team Total Energies, took the first place, while Alexandre Balmer from the Italian team Solution Tech NIPPO Rali came in second, and Artem Fofonov from the Kazakhstan team XDS Astana Development Team came in third.

The start of the Tour of Istanbul 2026 was given by Silivri District Governor Murat Eren, Turkish Cycling Federation (TBF) President Emin Müftüoğlu, general secretary Mehmet Sedat Fırat and board member Onur Şahin.

After the difficult first stage of the Tour of Istanbul, the leadership jerseys found their owners.

Baptiste Vadic, who won the stage, wore the orange jersey as the general classification leader. The French cyclist won the best sprinter jersey blue and signed off the day with a double jersey.

21-year-old Artem Fofonov, who took third place in the stage, became the first owner of the white jersey, that is, the best young driver ranking.

Mustafa Tekin's wearing the green jersey he deserved for his performance in the climbing bonus gate received applause from Turkish cycling fans.

Awards were given to the winning athletes by Çatalca Mayor Erhan Güzel, TBF President Emin Müftüoğlu and officials.

The second stage of the Tour of Istanbul will be held in Şile tomorrow. In the stage that will start at 10.50, athletes will sweat on the 149.9 kilometer track.