Martin Laas Secures Victory at Tour of Sakarya Stage Race
Estonian cyclist Martin Laas of the Astana Qazaqstan Development Team emerged as the overall winner of the Tour of Sakarya in Turkey. The four-stage race concluded with a 138 km sprint where Laas finished in second place behind Chinese rider Xianjing Lyu.
“I am really happy with this win, but also I am super happy and proud with the team, who supported me here in Turkey. The guys did a phenomenal job during all these four stages and this job as well as team spirit became the key of my overall success. These young guys are just incredible, and I want to thank them, it is our common victory,” said Martin Laas.
Laas acknowledged that he made a small mistake in the sprint, launching it too late to overtake Lyu. Despite this, he expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and their control over the race.
“After the start, five riders broke away clear, opening a gap, but the boys never gave them too much space, perfectly controlling the situation. With some 10 km to go we closed the gap, while later my teammates helped me to find a good position for the sprint. I arrived quite fresh to the finish as thanks to the team I was able to save energy for the final. In general, everything went perfect today, and the main goal has been achieved – we won the General Classification,” concluded Laas.
Laas’ victory in the Tour of Sakarya was a collective achievement for the Astana Qazaqstan Development Team. Davide Toneatti, Daniil Pronskiy, and Alexandre Vinokurov also delivered strong performances in the race.
The news of Laas’ triumph has been widely shared on social media platforms, with fans celebrating his success.
