Tour of Istanbul. Nicolas Vinokurov takes third in the General Classification

Astana Qazaqstan Development Team rider Nicolas Vinokurov took a solid third place in the final General Classification of the Tour of Istanbul in Turkey.

In four days of racing in rainy weather conditions Nicolas showed his growing form, always staying up there in front, fighting for the overall.

Vinokurov was 8th in the opening stage, taking 3rd in the second day and 4th in the queen stage, confirming his ambitions for the final podium. The last day in Istanbul ended in a bunch sprint and did not produce any changes in the upper part of the classification.

“It was a nice race with a good level of teams, with a lot of strong European riders. The weather was really bad since the very first stage and the roads were too slippery and dangerous here in Istanbul, but I managed to stay on my bike without any trouble! I was feeling quite good during these four days of racing and I’m happy I could reach another podium on the General Classification after Tour of Van. My team did an excellent job, the guys were able put me in the best possible conditions in the most crucial moments of the race. I wanted to win a stage, but it’s still nice to be on the final podium today”, – said Nicolas Vinokurov.

Photo credit: Tour of Istanbul