<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">XDS Astana Team rider Gleb Syritsa claimed victory on Stage 3 of the Baku–Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race, which ended in a bunch sprint. Overall leader Yevgeniy Fedorov and Aaron Gate delivered an excellent lead-out before Syritsa confidently finished off the team’s work with a powerful sprint and the stage victory.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“The stage was generally calm, and we tried to save as much energy as possible for the finale, expecting the race to end in a sprint. There were many teams interested in controlling the race, so everything went according to plan. Before the finish we moved to the front, and the guys did a fantastic job, especially Yevgeniy (Fedorov) and Aaron (Gate), who gave me the perfect moment to launch my sprint. I’m very happy with this victory. I had been close to success many times before, but it never quite worked out. Today everything came together. There are still two important stages ahead, and we are focused on the fight”, – said Gleb Syritsa.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">For XDS Astana Team, this is the second stage victory after yesterday’s success by Yevgeniy Fedorov.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Following Stage 3, Yevgeniy Fedorov retained the overall race lead, Gleb Syritsa moved into the lead of the points classification, and XDS Astana Team continues to lead the team classification.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Photo credit: ©Azerbaijan Cycling Federation

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Baku–Khankendi. Gleb Syritsa wins Stage 3

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Reigning Asian and Kazakh champion Yevgeniy Fedorov won Stage 2 of the Baku–Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race. Inside the final 10 kilometers, Fedorov launched a counterattack from the group of favorites, bridged across to solo leader Alexandre Balmer, and then outsprinted him for the victory.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">The favorites’ group finished 9 seconds later, while two other XDS Astana Team riders, Aaron Gate and Henok Mulubrhan, finished in the Top 10 (5th and 7th respectively).<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Following Stage 2, Yevgeniy Fedorov moved into the overall lead of the race.<blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">“It was a very difficult stage. The start was aggressive right away, and with the crosswinds the peloton split into echelons. Our team worked very smartly, and we had four riders in the front group. Later we continued working in the break and gained a very good advantage. On the climbs the attacks started, and eventually one rider – Alexandre Balmer – went clear. Our group was close, but we couldn’t close the gap. Then I launched a counterattack and managed to bridge across. I understood that it was a great opportunity to fight for the win, so I tried to give everything to prevent the group from catching us. With one and a half kilometer to go, Balmer attacked and opened a gap of around twenty meters, but I closed it with my pace and immediately took the inside line into the final corner. At that moment I realized I could win – I gave everything in the sprint, and it worked out. I’m very happy with this success. There are still three stages to go and the real battle is still ahead, but we will take it day by day”, – said Yevgeniy Fedorov.</blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Aptos, sans-serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:18.4px;margin:0cm 0cm 8pt;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;">Photo credit: ©Azerbaijan Cycling Federation

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Baku–Khankendi. Fedorov wins Stage 2

XDS Astana Team rider Thomas Silva claimed a historic victory on Stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia. Becoming the first Uruguayan rider to compete in the Giro d’Italia, Thomas Silva secured an impressive stage win in an uphill sprint and moved into the overall race lead. Following today’s victory, Thomas Silva will start tomorrow’s stage in the pink jersey.<img src="https://assets.astana.imaga.co/IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG" alt="IMG_0393.JPG" srcset="https://assets.astana.imaga.co/thumbnail_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 245w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/small_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 500w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/medium_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 750w,https://assets.astana.imaga.co/large_IMG_0393_6bae2c81bb.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="2000" height="1250">The second stage of the Giro d’Italia started in Burgas and finished after 221 kilometres in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. The race ended with an uphill sprint, where another XDS Astana Team rider, Christian Scaroni, delivered Thomas Silva into a perfect position in the final meters before the Uruguayan launched his winning sprint.<blockquote>“It’s an incredible victory and an incredible day. Yes, we really wanted to try something today, and we knew the stage suited us well. We had several scenarios in mind, but in the end it all came down to a sprint, and Cristian did an amazing job — he delivered me perfectly to the front so I could give everything in the sprint. This is something fantastic, and right now I’m overwhelmed with emotions, it’s hard to describe. My family is here with me these days, travelling along with the race, and it means so much to have them nearby and supporting me on a day like this. Today the whole team was outstanding, so this success belongs to all of XDS Astana Team. I honestly have no words — yes, I really wanted to fight for a stage win, but now I’m also wearing the pink jersey, and that’s completely unexpected. There’s not much more I can say right now, the emotions are overwhelming”, — said Thomas Silva after the stage victory.</blockquote>In addition to his stage victory, Thomas Silva also moved into the lead of the best young rider classification.Photo credit: @SprintCycling

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