"Five years ago I finished second in the Tour of Turkey, I hope to win the final classification this year" - Alexey Lutsenko takes control of GC after victory on Queen Stage

Stage 3 of the 2023 Tour of Turkey will live long in the memory of all those who rode it as the Badabag climb made a brutal introduction into World Tour cycling.

Alexey Lutsenko was the man who emerged victorious and speaking afterwards, the Kazakh national champion was in awe of the ascent to the line. “The last climb was really incredible… I have never experienced this before in my career, such a long climb. It was really tough all the time, with steep percentages," he recapped. "This was really a tough climb for everyone."

Heading into the final few kilometres, Lutsenko was part of a leading trio alongside Astana Qazaqstan Team, teammate Harold Tejada and BORA - hansgrohe's Ben Zwiehoff. “I am happy with the result. I can also count on a very strong team in this race," says Lutsenko. "In the opening phase, guys like Michele Gazzoli and Gleb Syritsa were in the lead and in the final Harold Tejada was very strong and important."

Unsurprisingly perhaps, given the destruction caused on the final climb, Lutsenko is also now sitting pretty atop the general classification standings. “This was only the third stage. Another tough ride is planned for tomorrow. Five years ago I finished second in the Tour of Turkey and I hope to win the final classification this year.”