AGAINST THE WIND IN THE LONGEST RACE
STAGE 4, Wednesday, August 30, 2023
ROUTE: Tabriz-Bostan Abad-Sarab-Ardebil, 211 km.

The 4th stage in the 36 th Iran (Azerbaijan) Cycling Tour started in front of the
Laleh Park Complex, Tabriz, at 9:00 local time. A small group of people, including
the staff at Laleh Park, the early-bird customers and the members of the Cycling
Tour Organizing Committee and some Iranian Tourists at Kaya Hotel, had come
out to see the riders off.
Immediately after the Start and at 5 km. point, three riders including
TZORTZAKIS Polychronis (64, ROI), MOHD ZARIFF Muhamad Nur Aiman
(21, MAS, TSG) and BAASANKHUU Myagmarsuren (51, FMT, MGL) ran in a
breakaway attempt ahead of the peloton and made the leading group with a space
of 5 minutes from the peloton. The 3 riders led the riders for about 135 km when
the riders in the peloton joined them in Sarab. The wind at a speed of 35 km/h was
blowing against the riders and it made the riders ride slowly comparatively.
The road from Sarab to Ardebil is mildly slope and it passes through the south and
eastern part of the Sabalan Mountain (the 2 nd highest mountain in Iran). It was
cloudy and the cold breeze mixed with the wind caused a tough condition for the
riders to compete. Four kilometers to the finish line, there was unexpected
runaways in the race. Four riders dashed ahead of the peloton in the race. They
were MARUKHIN Daniil (112, VSM, KAZ ) and SAFARZADEH Saeid (44,
TYD, IRI), KUZMIN Anton (12, ALT, KAZ) and BUDIAK Anatoli (26, TSG).
Their high speed made it clear that they would be the winners of the day:
Stage 4 Individual Classification:
1- BUDIAK Anatoli (26, TSG)
2- MARUKHIN Daniil (112, VSM, KAZ )
3- SAFARZADEH Saeid (44, TYD, IRI)
KUZMIN Anton (12, ALT, KAZ) achieved the fourth position of the day to secure
his fifth place in the general individual classification of the Tour.
The White Jersey (The Best Youngest Riders):
1- CAJUCOM Ean (85, VSC, PHI)
2- AGHAKASHI Mahdi (15, ALT, KAZ)

2

3- ABDULLAH Sulaiman Wehbi (142, IRQ)
STAGE 4 TEAM CLASSIFICATION:
1- ERENGGANU POLYGON CYCLING TEAM
2- VINO SKO TEAM
3- TIANYOUDE HOTEL CYCLING TEAM
The riders, managers, coaches and all the people affiliated with the TOUR will
pass the night in Sare’in, enjoying in the Hot Mineral Water Pools there. On
Thursday, Aygust 31, 2023, the last stage of the Tour will start from Sare’in
toward Tabriz to determine the winners.
Writer: Abdullah Bageri Hamidi