Ridolfo wraps up Turkiye with 16th on Punchy Ankara Finale

The Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye came to a close on Sunday with a fast and technical 105.2 km circuit race in the nation’s capital, Ankara. The short stage delivered an aggressive finale, with repeated laps on a punchy course setting the stage for a selective uphill sprint to decide the final stage winner.

From the outset, the peloton kept a tight leash on multiple early moves that went by only small margins, with teams eager to position their leaders for the explosive finish.

Team Novo Nordisk remained attentive throughout the day, conserving energy for the final showdown. As the pace ramped up heading into the closing laps, the team worked to keep Filippo Ridolfo well-positioned.

The final kilometer proved decisive, with the road pitching upward before flattening out in the final 200 meters. Ridolfo responded well to the uphill drag, staying with the front group as the race split under pressure.

“It was quite a cold day, but I really liked the circuit,” said Ridolfo. “I started to feel better and better as the race went on, even though it was a short stage. The final kilometer was tough, and I just missed a bit of power when it flattened out with around 200 meters to go to fight for a top ten.”

Ridolfo crossed the line in 16th place, capping off a solid performance on a stage that suited his characteristics.

The Ankara finale brought an end to a demanding week of racing across Türkiye, where the world’s first all diabetes cycling team showed consistency and teamwork across a variety of terrains. The team now looks ahead to the next block of competition with confidence in Tour de Hellas.