ISTANBUL - A Swiss cycler won the first leg of the cycling tour of Turkey that kicked-off in the metropolis, Istanbul on Sunday.
Rast Gregory of Switzerland became the winner of the Istanbul Grand Prix, the first leg of the tour, that took start from the Sultanahmet Square, the heart of the metropolis.
Gregory biked the first leg in 2.03.09, while Ginanni Francesco of Italy came the second and Garcia Depana David was the third.
Only eight of 148 cyclers could complete all 30 laps.
The cyclers will fly to Aegean province of Izmir to compete in the second leg on Monday.
The tour, comprised of one grand prix (Istanbul) and seven laps, will end on April 20th. Cyclers will ride 1,071 kilometers during the tour.
The cyclers will follow a route from the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul to the southern city of Antalya, via some Aegean and Mediterranean towns.
Below is the cycling race schedule:
April 13th, 2008: Istanbul (Grand Prix)
April 14th, 2008: Izmir-Kusadasi (town in Aegean Region)
April 15th, 2008: Kusadasi-Bodrum (towns in Aegean Region)
April 16th, 2008: Bodrum-Marmaris (towns in Aegean Region)
April 17th, 2008: Marmaris-Oludeniz (towns in Aegean Region)
April 18th, 2008: Kalkan-Finike (towns in Mediterranean Region)
April 19th, 2008: Finike-Antalya (town-city in Mediterranean Region)
April 20th, 2008: Antalya-Alanya (town-city in Mediterranean Region)
(BRC)