56th PRESIDENTIAL CYCLING TOUR OF TURKEY IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END

JASPER PHILIPSEN FROM ALPECIN TEAM TAKES A WIN IN 180 KM OF MARMARİS-TURGUTREİS STAGE RUN UNDER SPOR TOTO SPONSORSHIP

THE TOUR WILL BE COMPLETED TOMORROW WITH 160.3 KM OF BODRUM-KUSADASI STAGE 

The 56th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey is about to come to an end. Jasper Philipsen from Alpecin team took a win in 180 km of Marmaris-Turgutreis stage run under the sponsorship of Spor Toto in 4 hours 20 minutes 45 seconds. Riders having entered the finish line all together raised the tempo to take the stage in a tug of war. Andre Greipel from Israel Start-Up Nation Team came through second and Mark Cavendish from Quick Step team ranked 3rd.

151 RIDERS TOOK START FOR THE RACE 

151 riders started the race at 10.10 in Marmaris Republic Square. Sprinters started to break ahead of the peloton on Marmaris climb. There were several splits, but it didn’t cause serious time gaps.

IRIZAR TOOK BEAUTIES OF TURKEY PRIME 

Beauties of Turkey premium of the stage run under the sponsorship of Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency was taken at 1.4 km right at the beginning of the race. Julen Irizar from Euskaltel-Euskadi Team was the first to take the prime. Francesco Gavazzi from Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team and Alessandro Tonelli from Bardiani Team respectively came through second and third.

GROUP SPLIT IN SAKAR PASSAGE 

Serious attacks started to be recorded in Muğla turn. The peloton was split into six groups towards Sakar climb with ongoing attacks. 

CELANO TOOK THE MOUNTAIN PRIME 

Mountain prime of the stage was taken at 35.9 km. The breakaway group started to include new riders leading to a tug of war for the prime which was meters ahead. Danilo Celano from Sapura Team took the prime. Francesco Gavazzi from Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team and Alessandro Tonelli from Bardiani Team respectively came through second and third, while Julen Irizar from Euskaltel-Euskadi team ranked 4th and Merhawi Kudus from Astana team ranked 5th. 

ITALIAN RIDER TOOK THE SECOND MOUNTAIN PRIME AS WELL 

The last mountain prime of the stage was taken at 96.6 km. The Italian sportsman Danilo Celano from Sapura Team also took the second mountain prime. Julen Irizar from Euskaltel-Euskadi team and Alessandro Tonelli from Bardiani team came through second and third, while Francesco Gavazzi from Eolo-Kometa Cycling team ranked 4th. 

STRONG CROSSWIND 

The wind with a speed of up to 35-40 km/h after Yatağan adversely affected both the course and the riders. Riders made moves to avoid pieces of stone, sand and soil dispersed on the course due to strong wind. They struggled this relentless wind until the finish line.

GAP IS BEING BRIDGED

The peloton paced up 50 km before the finish line and attacked despite the relentless wind, the gap with the break group was then bridged down to 30 seconds.

TOUR IS TO BE COMPLETED TOMORROW 

The 56th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey will be completed tomorrow with the 160.3 km of Bodrum-Kuşadası stage to be run Salcano sponsorship. GC leader will thus be revealed at the end of the Tour of a total of 1249 kilomters. The winner of the Tour will take on the Turquoise Jersey as the GC champion.