L’Étape Romania by Tour de France
Here’s who claimed victory at the biggest cycling event in Eastern Europe
Spectacular finale at L’Étape Romania by Tour de France: Here’s who claimed victory at the biggest cycling event in Eastern Europe
Bucharest, September 2, 2025: The fourth edition of L’Etape Romania by Tour de France has come to an end. On August 31, the legendary competition once again confirmed its status as the largest road cycling event in Romania and Eastern Europe—a true festival held in an atmosphere filled with joy, excitement, and competitive spirit, starting from Constitution Square.
Although only in its fourth edition, L’Étape Romania is among the top 3 races out of the 30 organized worldwide, a result that strengthens Romania’s position on the international road cycling map.
On August 31, 2,500 amateur and professional cyclists from 20 countries and 180 cities lined up at the start. Whether they came from Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, Austria, the UAE, the USA, Greece, Switzerland, or even Malaysia, India, or Norway, they all lived a memorable experience! Among the participants in the 14 km City Adventure race were over 350 children and teenagers, while more than 60 people with disabilities rode the 42 km course. The Ride 42 km was, in fact, the race with the highest number of participants this year—over 1,100. Another 550+ competitors chose to test their strength and endurance in The Race, an 85 km course. Cyclists could take part using either road bikes or MTBs.
In the fourth edition of L’Etape Romania by Tour de France presented by Decathlon, 300 technicians and communication and logistics specialists, 400 volunteers, and over 400 police officers and gendarmes worked together to ensure everything ran smoothly. Security teams were on duty with more than 100 intervention and security vehicles and over 5,000 safety barriers. All this was the result of 10 months of meticulous preparation and thousands of hours of work by the organizing team.
The winners of the 4th edition of L’Etape Romania by Tour de France
After a day full of emotions, adrenaline, and the joy of discovering Bucharest differently—on boulevards closed to traffic—the winners of this edition were announced. There was also a remarkable achievement: competitor Mara Perșoiu-Târâtu won all three official L’Etape jerseys!
As per L’Etape tradition, the famous yellow jersey, symbol of victory, excellence, and determination, goes to the top amateur male and female cyclists in The Race (85 km) and The Ride (42 km). The yellow jersey was won by Covalciuc Andrei and Daria Khandozhko on the 85 km course, while champions on the 42 km course were Ghennadi Morgun and Mara Perșoiu-Târâtu.
The green jersey, symbolizing boldness, speed, and explosiveness, went to the amateur cyclists with the best male/female time in the 300m SPRINT section. The winners were Dominik Ujlaky and Sonia-Teodora Cibu (85 km route), and Vladimir Cârlan and Mara Perșoiu-Târâtu (42 km route).
The white jersey went to the fastest young riders under 25 years old (male/female), in The Race 85 km and The Ride 42 km. The winners were: Semion Culicenco and Alina Baletchi (85 km course), and Ghennadi Morgun and Mara Perșoiu-Târâtu (42 km course).
The top three amateur cyclists in The Race 85 km, male and female, qualified for the international L’Étape Championship and received invitations to participate in the iconic L’Étape du Tour in France. These are: Filip Grigorescu, Marian Frunzeanu, Covalciuc Andrei, Irina Stoica, Elena Dobranitsa, and Daria Khandozhko.
Unique activations, sustainability, and a Tour de France museum in the Race Village
At this edition as well, the Race Village in Constitution Square brought together partners, sponsors, and collaborators with shared values. All of them prepared special activations and prize contests to make the experience unforgettable for those present.
A.S.O., the international organizer of the event, set up the Tour de France exhibition, where visitors could discover dedicated screenings about the history of the Tour de France and top cyclists, as well as symbolic exhibits highlighting the uniqueness of this event.
Sustainability also played a key role. Participants could separately collect recyclable waste in specially designed areas thanks to partners Reciclad’OR and Remat Holding, promoting environmental care and turning L’Etape Romania into a pollution-free race.
“L’Etape Romania by Tour de France is, for the MPG team, the biggest challenge among the thousands of events organized over 28 years of activity, mainly because we must respect all the requirements that come with the Tour de France license. But the satisfaction is equally great! At this edition too, we felt the enthusiasm of the participants and their emotions—that’s what matters most to us, along with our constant concern to organize events at the highest quality standards.
Congratulations to the winners, but also to all those who competed, a big thank you to the supporters for their energy, and thanks to the authorities who ensured the safe organization of the races, as well as the sponsors, media partners, and volunteers.”
“We look forward to the 2026 edition to continue the L’Etape story!” – Tudor Ștefan Mocuța, CEO MPG.
Numerous top Romanian companies joined the most powerful cycling brand in the world. The 2025 edition had Decathlon as Presenting Partner and was supported by CTMB and Bucharest City Hall. Additional sponsors included SKODA and RTPR. Official suppliers were Powerbar, URSUS, WASA, Reciclad’Or, Remat Holding, Agriro Fresh, Black Cab, JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Artesia, Secom, Sweeteria, AIRE, CPI Security, Artesana. Event partners were MTB Academy and Bălașa Percussion.
Institutional partners supporting the event were the French Embassy and the Romanian Cycling Federation.
Special thanks go to the volunteers from Proedus, Zenezia, and Team Behind the Team, the Bucharest Traffic Brigade, the Gendarmerie, Local Police, sector police, SABIF, ISU-BIF, and DGSU, for their involvement and support in the smooth running of the event. Thanks also go to Bucharest City Hall and CTMB for their ongoing support.
Decathlon was the presenting sponsor for the third consecutive year. Decathlon’s involvement reflects its long-term commitment to the sports community and its mission to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. At this edition, Decathlon contributed with:
- Part of the official participant kit, T-shirts and shoe bags;
- An interactive activation booth and expo area;
- A quick repair service, where Decathlon technicians helped cyclists when needed.
“It was a fantastic day, spent together with thousands of participants and their supporters at the 4th edition of L’Etape Romania. We were delighted to see how much energy sport can give to competitors, and how much they can give back. The mobilization of forces was impressive, as was the community created around this event. Congratulations to everyone! Indeed, we proved that we can move people through the wonders of sport—‘Move people through the wonders of sport’ being exactly our mission at Decathlon,” said Raluca Hristea, Events and Partnerships Leader, Decathlon Romania.
The event was recommended by Europa FM.
Media partners: Revista BIZ, News.ro, GOLAZO, Radio România Actualități, Radio România Cultural, Rador, Ziarul Bursa, Romania Journal, Freerider, Aimx.ro, Visit Bucharest, Nine O’ Clock, Revista Sport Magazin, GO4FUN.ro, GabrielSolomon.ro, Biciclistul.ro, RIDERSCLUB.ro, SPORTYA.net, TENIS10, and KLARMEDIA – Media monitoring partner.
L’Étape Romania by Tour de France presented by Decathlon is organized by MPG Romania, the market leader in sports projects for amateur participants, with extensive experience that includes organizing over 10,000 sporting events across more than 28 years of activity. The agency coordinates over 1,000 sporting events annually, combining specialized know-how with unrivaled implementation, delivering experiences that bring joy to people and customized solutions for local and global brands. More details about MPG Romania at: www.mpg.com.ro
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Latest information about L’Étape Romania by Tour de France can be found on the official website https://romania.letapeseries.com/
and on social media: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/letaperomania
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About A.S.O
Thanks to the prestigious Tour de France, one of the world’s most popular international sporting events, as well as renowned classics such as Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Wallonne, and Paris-Tours, or stage races such as Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, and Vuelta a España, A.S.O is the global leader in organizing cycling races, with 100 days of competition each year. The globalization of cycling is one of its major areas of development. With the Saudi Tour, Deutschland Tour, and Arctic Race of Norway, A.S.O continues to contribute actively to the growth of this sport as an example of sustainable transport in urban centers.
About L’Étape Series by Tour de France
L’Étape Series by Tour de France is the global leader in mass participation cycling events. More than 30 global events have been held so far in over 20 countries. L’Étape by Tour de France gives amateur cyclists the chance to race or experience a Tour de France stage right at home. The Tour de France is the most recognized annual sporting event in the world and is a premium brand in the world of cycling.
About Decathlon
Decathlon, the leading European sports retailer, currently operates 31 stores nationwide, along with its online platform and app, being present in Romania’s sports retail market since 2009, with around 1,600 teammates in 2024. Decathlon offers sports enthusiasts products and equipment for more than 80 sports, in line with the highest standards of quality and innovation in the field, while maintaining its strategic goal of moving people through the wonders of sport and delivering this with excellent value for money.
The stores include products from its own brands, such as Quechua, Btwin, Domyos, Tribord, Van Rysel, Kiprun, Solognac, etc., as well as other international brands, addressing beginners, advanced, and professional athletes alike. Since 2005, Decathlon has partnered with several industrial manufacturers, producing in Romania its own-brand products for hiking, trekking, and climbing (footwear), as well as cycling (textiles and bicycles for adults and children), sold throughout Europe with the “Made in Romania” label.
