Eritrean Meron Abraham took second place on the first stage, only defeating from local Mohammad Ganjkhanlou.
Premiere had Clint Hendricks, the first South African in the BIKE AID jersey. He was able to assert himself in the top group of fifteen and finished fifth. Thus BIKE AID also succeeded in the victory in the daily team ranking.
But cycling and Iran? It is part of our concept to travel to new countries again and to make an unbiased picture on site. Of countries that only a few really know, but opinions mostly form of media fragments.
That there is a cycling enthusiasm in Iran, many surprise. Again and again we are excited about what cycling can do anywhere in the world and how little will it often know here. A cycling race is our way to immerse ourselves in a country, to experience the people, the landscape and the culture. Cycling brings together people from all over the world, opens windows, creates encounters. At the end of the tour, we will report on what our riders will be able to experience in the next few days in Iran and what impressions they will gain. We are curious ourselves.