SAEED SAFARZADEH WINS ALL THE TITLES
Stage 5: 197.9 km.
Route: SAREIN-NIR-SARAB-MEHRBAN-BOSTANABAD-TABRIZ

The 5 stages of the ROAD RACES in the 36th Iran (Azerbaijan) Cycling Tour
started from Sare’in to Tabriz at 9:00 local time on Thursday, August 31, 2023.
The 71 riders rode about 13 kilometers, a neutral ride to the Stop & Start line on
the Ardebil-Tabriz road. It was a sunny day and a mild wind was blowing in favour
of the riders.
Immediately after the Start, four riders including MANCEBO Perez Francisco (72,
MTR), SOHRABI Mehdi (121, ICP), YAOWARAT Ratchanon (35, TCC) and the
Mongol rider BATTSENGEL Amartuvshin (53, FMT) ran in a breakaway attempt
ahead of the peloton and made the leading group with a space of 5 minutes from
the peloton. The four riders led the race and passed the first mountain line at 32
km. Then Mehdi Sohrabi (121) withdrew from the leading group and the other
three (numbers 53, 35, 72) won both of the Sprints at 102 and 139 km.
On the last stage the wind (25 km/h) was in favour of the riders. The wind actually
pushed the riders along and boosted the peloton. Now and then and in some parts
of the road, the crosswind blew along the race from the left side.
The space between the head three riders and the peloton decreased and at 190 km.
the riders were all in one group and raced forward.
The three leading riders (numbers 53, 35 and 72) collected good points for
themselves on the sprints and mountain climbs; however, the rider from the TYN
team, SAFARZADEH Saeid (44) was drafting behind the road all along when
seven kilometers to the Finish line he gradually moved into the front position in a
paceline.
Only 4000 meters to the Finish Line, there was unexpected runaways in the race.
The highly steep slope on the last 4 kilometers of the race dispersed the peloton.
After the first kilometer was passed, the peloton was dispersed on the winding road
uphill. Finally Saeid Safarzadeh (44) ran in a breakaway attempt ahead of the other
riders to pass the Finish line.
Stage 5 Individual Classification:

1- SAFARZADEH Saeid (44, ARVICH SHARGH OMIDNIA, Iran)
2- BUDIAK Anatolii (26, TSG)
3- KUZMIN Anton (12, ALT)

The White Jersey (The Best Youngest Rider):
1- REMKHI Rudolf (13, ALT, KAZ)

Stage 5 Team Classification
2- TERENGGANU POLYGON CYCLING TEAM
3- ALMATY CYCLING TEAM (Kazakistan)
4- THAILND CONTINENTAL CYCLING TEAM

The last 4 kilometers of the 4th stage will be remembered many years by the riders
and the spectators alike, because the steep slope lay from the bottom of a mountain
to the top of it. The winding slope route is normally a recreational road for the
people on Friday Holidays. The people waiting at the FINISH LINE were the
citizens of Tabriz, picnicking on the mountain on a good holiday afternoon.

INDIVIDUAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1- SAFARZADEH Saeid (44, ARVICH SHARGH OMIDNIA, Iran)
2- UDIAK Anatolii (26, TSG)
3- KUZMIN Anton (12, ALT)
The six riders of the Team “TERENGGANU POLYGON CYCLING TEAM”
stood on the podium of Championship.
The 36th edition of the International Cycling Tour of Iran-Azerbaijan (August 26-
31, 2023) came to an end in Tabriz, the Capital city in East Azerbaijan Province,
Iran. Some 82 cyclists from 15 teams started the 5 stages of the Tour and 70
cyclists passed the last FINISH LINE.
The Iran-Azerbaijan Cycling Tour has the prestigious status of being one of the
cycling tours in Asia with a rich organizational background. The Tour was first
established in 1986 and the first road races was performed around the URMIA

LAKE, the salty lake which is now threatened to be dried out. Many cyclists
participated in the tour and some left deep footprints on the roads of Azerbaijan
(Iranian Province). They were retired and new cyclists continued the race. So let’s
hope that this fantastic Tour will continue as far as a person enjoys riding a bicycle
to replace all the pollution producing machinery in the world.
Good Luck for all of you and see you again in Azerbaijan (IRAN) in 2024.
Reported by: Abdullah Bageri Hamidi, begerihamidi@gmail.com