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Cycling tour kicks off in Azerbaijani capital with home team's victory

1 May 2013 15:54 (UTC+04:00)
Cycling tour kicks off in Azerbaijani capital with home team's victory

By Nigar Orujova

An Azerbaijani team member won the first stage of the international cycling tour "Tour of Azerbaijan 2013", dedicated to the 90th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev, which started in the capital Baku on Wednesday.

The second such tour in Azerbaijan brought together 25 teams from 24 countries to compete on May 1-5.

The cycling race started from the territory of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku. 24 teams will pass 11 laps of the total 157 km length along the route Heydar Aliyev Center - Koroglu subway station - Heydar Aliyev Center.

Azerbaijani team member Christoph Shweizer won the first stage of the tour and gained the blue leader jersey and the green sprinter jersey.

The international cycling race is widely covered by such TV channels as Eurosport and Eurosport-2. Some 40 TV channels' staff came to Azerbaijan for this purpose.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) Europe Tour 2.2 Category tour is organized by the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation with support of the Youth and Sports Ministry, the National Olympic Committee and the UCI.

Azerbaijan is represented at the event by the Synergy Baku Cycling Project team, which made a successful debut on the international circuit earlier this year.

Elchin Asadov, another member of the Azerbaijani team, said earlier on Wednesday, "We should do everything possible to achieve good results. I see Turkey, Lithuania, Switzerland and Germany among the tour's favorite teams."

Asadov said each athlete feels more confident at a competition being held in his homeland.

"The more people support us, the more we will accomplish. That is why I want our citizens to support us by standing along the route."

The opening ceremony of the tour and the teams' presentation was held in Baku on Tuesday with the participation of the Head of Cycling Federation of Azerbaijan Fazil Mammadov, Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov, and European Olympic Committee President Patrick Hickey.

Mammadov noted that the tour takes place in seven regions of Azerbaijan.

On May 2, starting from the brand new cycling park on the Caspian Sea shore, the peloton will move towards the Great Caucasus ridge and, covering 183 kilometers, will finish near the town of Ismayilli.

On May 3, the cyclists will head for Sheki from Gabala, passing the Oguz region, and back to Gabala, thus covering 165 kilometers.

On May 4, the race will start at Gabala, whence the peloton will move towards Shamakhi and after covering 116 kilometers will finish near the Pirguli Observatory, 1,450 meters above sea level.

The final, 146 kilometer long stage, will pass through the central avenues and streets of Baku, and after making 12 laps will finish in front of the Government House.

The cycling tournament has an increased total prize fund of 69,000 euros.

The winner will be granted 6,000 euros; the athletes excelling in the sprint and mount competitions will also be awarded money prizes.

The first professional cycling competition took place in Azerbaijan in May 2012 with the participation of 17 teams from 15 countries.

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