Baku–Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race Stage 2:Fedorov Attacks Late to Take Victory as Overall Leader Changes
- Charles Lee
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
On May 11, 2026, Stage 2 of the Baku–Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race took place, covering 193.3 kilometres from Sea Breeze on the Caspian coast to Ismayilli. In the closing kilometres, Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana Team) launched a decisive attack with around 13 kilometres remaining, bridging across to Switzerland’s Alexandre Balmer before overtaking him 5.5 kilometres from the finish.
The two riders then engaged in a head-to-head battle. Entering the final corner before the finishing straight, Fedorov chose the better racing line and narrowly sprinted to victory. Balmer finished second, while Uruguay’s Eric Antonio Fagúndez Lima took third place.
With the stage win, Fedorov moved into the overall lead, claiming the blue jersey presented by Silkway West Airlines and also the green jersey for the points classification sponsored by Sea Breeze. The red mountains jersey (Azerbaijan Airlines) was secured by Belgium’s Lennert Teugels, while Spain’s Iker Gomez took the white jersey for best young rider (Azvirt).
The stage started at 8:20 a.m. local time from Sea Breeze Resort, with a 7 km neutralised section. A total of 137 riders from 24 teams took the start. Although around 70% of the route was flat, the climbs in the southern foothills of the Caucasus significantly increased the difficulty. The course featured two intermediate sprint points (km 26.9 and 138.7) and three mountain classifications (km 82.4, 129.6, and 161.0), which proved decisive.
The race began with an aggressive tempo. Due to injuries from a crash the previous day, Eritrea’s Petros Menggs and France’s Pierre Barbier did not start. After the neutralised section, multiple attacks were launched but initially failed to break clear, while an early crash involving three riders also disrupted the peloton.
The first sprint classification at kilometre 26.9 in Sumgayit was won by Eritrea’s Henok Mulubrhan, ahead of Mongolian rider Jambaljamts Sainbayar, with Stage 1 winner Aliaksei Shnyrko finishing third.
At kilometre 42, a group of five riders successfully broke away, initially gaining around 30 seconds before extending their advantage. Meanwhile, the peloton began to split in the first third of the race, with several riders—including Shnyrko and mountains leader Yorben Lauryssen—dropping back. Crosswinds and climbing sections further fragmented the field, with around 25 riders forming the front group.
On the first mountain classification at kilometre 82.4, Lennert Teugels took maximum points, followed by Sainbayar, Josh Burnett, and Simon Pellauf. As the race progressed, several riders abandoned, including Feritcan Samli and Ferhat Emisci, followed by Alder Yergeshov, Tural Israfilov, and Lorenzo Marentzi.
At the second mountain classification (km 129.6), Teugels again led the classification ahead of David Delgado, Sainbayar, and Pablo Carrascosa.
The second intermediate sprint at kilometre 138.7 in Samaxi was won by Australia’s Aaron Gate, ahead of Mulubrhan and Hugo Aznar. From there, the final 55 kilometres featured sustained climbing, gradually reducing the size of the leading groups.
The decisive moment came at the final climb (km 161.0), where Balmer took the maximum points. Following the climb, multiple attacks fragmented the race, with Balmer going clear solo. Behind him, Fedorov launched a powerful counterattack from the chase group with around 13 kilometres remaining, eventually catching and overtaking Balmer 5.5 kilometres before the finish. Entering the final corner, Fedorov secured the inside line and carried his advantage onto the finishing straight to seal the victory.
After Stage 2, Fedorov’s teammates Henok Mulubrhan and Aaron Gate also moved into the overall top ten, finishing fifth and seventh respectively. Speaking after the race, Fedorov said: “Our main goal today was to take the win. The hardest part of the stage was the climbing. My objective for the next stages is to defend the leader’s jersey.”
Alexander Vinokurov, the sports director of XDS Astana Team and an Olympic champion, also praised the event at the finish, noting the high level of organization, strong spectator interest, and excellent road and safety conditions. He added that such races play an important role in developing cycling in the region.
Sea Breeze, the stage start location, is a major coastal development near Baku, combining residential, leisure, and tourism infrastructure along the Caspian Sea. The finish town, Ismayilli, lies on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus and is known for its rich natural landscapes, forests, and traditional mountain villages such as Lahij, famous for its historic copper craftsmanship.
A total of 126 riders finished within the time limit. Stage 3 will take place on May 12 from Gabala to Mingachevir over 162.9 kilometres, where further changes in the general classification are expected.
Stage2 Result:
Stage2 Highlight:
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