Chapter 18: From Cyprus to Istanbul Chrysoulis Constantinou Takes on L’Étape Türkiye
There are races that test how fast you can ride, and there are races that give you a story worth remembering long after the result has been filed away. L’Étape Türkiye 2026 belongs firmly in the second category. Set against the extraordinary backdrop of Istanbul, where Europe and Asia meet across the Bosphorus, the event brought together riders from around the world for a demanding day of racing that combined speed, climbing, tactics and one of cycling’s most memorable geographical experiences: crossing between two continents on a bicycle. Among them was Ventus rider Chrysoulis Constantinou, representing Famagusta Cycling Team, who travelled from Cyprus with the intention of doing much more than simply enjoying the occasion.
Chrysoulis arrived in Istanbul with a racing record that suggested he would be capable of making his presence felt. Over recent seasons, the experienced Cypriot rider has established himself as a consistently competitive Masters racer, combining strong road-racing performances with an ability to perform when the gradient turns upwards. His record includes a second-place finish in the Masters category at the 2026 Cyprus National Road Championship, a second-place finish at the 2026 Cyprus National Individual Time Trial Championship, another second-place finish in the Masters category at the 2025 Cyprus National Road Championship, a second-place finish at the 2024 Cyprus National Individual Time Trial Championship, and another second-place result at Foliforov Day 2026, where he completed the uphill time trial in 29:07.7. His experience also extends beyond Cyprus, with appearances at international events including the Gran Fondo Cyprus and Istria Gran Fondo, making L’Étape Türkiye a natural opportunity to measure himself against a larger international field.
The 2026 edition provided exactly that opportunity. The long-course race took the riders through Istanbul before heading towards the decisive sections of the route and across the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, creating the unique experience of racing from Asia into Europe. With the race eventually covering approximately 96.5 kilometres, the pace was high from the opening kilometres, and Chrysoulis immediately found himself where he wanted to be: close to the front. At the first recorded split, he was sitting in seventh position, a clear indication that he had settled into the race with confidence and that the intensity of the international field was not going to intimidate him.
As the race developed, the combination of speed and elevation began to shape the final outcome. Chrysoulis recorded a 47.4 km/h effort in the sprint segment, placing him 14th among 266 riders, before reaching the race’s principal climbing section, where he once again demonstrated one of his strongest characteristics as a rider. His 8:50 KOM effort placed him 10th among 267 riders, with an average speed of 13.6 km/h, confirming that he was able to remain competitive when the road tilted upwards and the race began to put greater pressure on the field. For a rider competing in a race of this scale for the first time, these intermediate performances were every bit as significant as the final result because they showed that Chrysoulis was not simply following the race; he was actively participating in it.
The final part of the race, however, proved to be the decisive chapter. After remaining among the leading riders through the earlier sections, Chrysoulis lost six positions during the final part of the course, which may have played a role in the change of position. That is one of the realities of road racing: after more than two hours of riding at high speed, the difference between finishing inside the top ten and just outside it can come down to positioning, timing and the ability to stay attached to the right wheels when the decisive move takes place. Chrysoulis continued to fight all the way to the line, eventually completing the course in 2:38:54 at an average speed of 36.4 km/h, good enough for 13th overall among 250 men and 8th in the Masters 40 - 44 category, where he finished among 59 riders.
On paper, 13th place may look like just another number in a results table, but the context makes the performance considerably more interesting. Chrysoulis finished only 3 minutes and 23 seconds behind the overall winner, despite competing on an unfamiliar course and against a field drawn from an international cycling community. He had been seventh at the opening split, finished inside the top ten on the KOM and maintained an average speed of more than 36 km/h across a course that demanded both physical strength and tactical awareness. The result therefore represents not only a strong individual performance but another step in the progression of a rider who has steadily built his reputation through national championships, international gran fondos and demanding uphill events.
For Ventus, Chrysoulis’ journey to Istanbul represents something larger than a single race result. Cycling is ultimately about the places it takes us, the people we meet and the challenges that force us to discover something new about ourselves, and few cycling destinations provide a more fitting setting for that philosophy than Istanbul. A rider from Cyprus travelled to one of the world's great cities, lined up alongside an international field, raced across the Bosphorus and returned home with a top-15 overall finish at one of the most distinctive events on the cycling calendar.
The result also adds another chapter to the relationship between Chrysoulis, Famagusta Cycling Team and Ventus, a partnership that has already seen the team and its riders compete successfully across Cyprus and beyond. From national championship podiums to international events, the journey continues to be defined by the same qualities that make cycling so compelling: preparation, persistence, competition and the willingness to discover how far you can go when the road becomes difficult.
From Cyprus to Istanbul, from Asia to Europe, Chrysoulis Constantinou came to race and he left his mark.
