56th PRESIDENTIAL CYCLING TOUR OF TURKEY TROPHIES AND AWARDS

TROPHIES OF THE 1ST LEG OF THE RACE, SPOR TOTO KONYA-KONYA, AWARDED BY METIN KIRATLI, HEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS; MINISTER OF ENVIRONEMENT MURAT KURUM AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORTS DR. MEHMET MUHARREM KASAPOGLU.

ANDRE DE KELIJN, WINNER OF THE LEG KNOWN AS “THE LITTLE GORILLA” SAID “IT WAS A LONG SPRINT. LATER ON, I LEARNED THAT I WON.”  

The award ceremony of the 1st Leg of the 56th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, 72.4 km. Spor Toto Konya-Konya, took place in Kültür Park, the finishing sprint. 

TROPHIES DELIVERED BY KIRATLI, KURUM AND KASAPOĞLU

Head of Presidential Administrative Affairs Metin Kıratlı, the Minister of Environment Murat Kurum and the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Muharrem Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu gave the sprinters ranking among the top three their trophies. 

THE WINNER OF THE LEG KLEIJN, “IT IS SUCH A HAPPY DAY”

Arvid De Kleijn, the winner of 72.4 km. Konya-Konya Leg where the first leg of the tour took place under the sponsorship of Spor Toto, said it was a very happy day for him. He said “I like it for the time being,” in response to a question regarding his nickname “the little gorilla” named after Andre Griepel, a popular sprinter called “the gorilla” by cycling fans.

"We had a good planning. My team mates also did an excellent job. We won the first leg and I believe that the rest will come. I realized that I was really well positioned in the last meters. I felt myself very strong at that very moment.  It was really close with Halvorsen. I don’t remember how I passed the finish line. Later I learned that I won the leg. I am really happy for myself and my team mates. It felt really long, the last 400 meters of the sprint. I could have had an accident, as well. I skipped them well. I cannot congratulate my team mates enough,” he said.