Elia Viviani wins Finike-Antalya stage

Elia Viviani from Liquigas Doimo won 114 km long Finike-Antalya stage of the 46th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey with 2.52.25. Giovanni Visconti from ISD-Neri ranked second, Andrea Grendene from Lampre team ranked third with the same time difference.

We are continuing with 2 Riders!

89 riders attended the start of Finike-Antalya stage. At the last minute Ludescher and Sokoll from Vorarlberg didn’t participated in the stage. Fatih Harmancı and Mustafa Sayar, two athletes representing Turkey for three stages were among 89 athletes. Mustafa Sayar who ranked 49th and Fatih Harmancı who ranked 74th at the Fethiye-Finike stage praised particularly by foreign team directors for not leaving the race and showing perfect performance. After collective start, activations were observed immediately. Also it was being wondered what kind of competition would take place between general individual classification leader Visconti and Greipel. How would excellent sprinter Greipel respond to Italian rider’s 4 minutes 20 seconds superiority? And above all, would second of general individual classification Van Gardener close 23 seconds difference with Visconti, Moncoute from Cofidis 27 seconds, Cheula from Footon Servetto 48 seconds and take the seat from Italian rider? Here amid all these question marks the stage took place. Nobody could know better than 91 riders, the difficulty of pedalling at a more flat track compared to other stages but under the burning sun. While the flat track was being crossed in Kumluca the support of a crowded public gave morale to riders. Later at the 17th kilometre we witnessed the first sprint Premium.

Sprint Premium

Giairo Ermeti from De Rosa, Aristide Ratti from Carmioro and Iglesias Rodriguez from Galicia respectively ranked first, second and third. Later Adriano Malori from Lampre and Cheng Ji from Shimano also joined to this trio. While this fivefold pushed pedals together up to the climbing Premium they achieved to break away continuously. The difference was increased first to 1.55, then 2.03 and as 72 km left to the finish over 2 minutes 15 seconds. The most striking event here was the presence of Giario Ermeti from De Rosa team who had 5 minutes 20 seconds difference with Visconti at the general individual classification. Meantime it was seen that the third of yesterday’s stage Manuel Belletti from Colnago team left the race.

Climbing Premium Goes to Malori

As Kumluca was left behind, the fivefold on the lead who were rapidly pedalling towards the finish shared the climbing Premium like this: 1 Adriano Malori (Lampre), 2 Cheng Ji (Shimano), 3 Iglesias Rodriguez (Galicia), 4 Aristide Ratti (Carmioro). According to these results, red Jersey (best climber) superiority of Remi Pauriol from Cofidis continued. The eyes were now on this fivefold. However until the 7th stage, continuously breaking away and opening the difference up to 5-6 minutes would mean that this fivefold would be caught towards the end? As 67 km left to the finish, the time difference between this fivefold and the main group reached 2 minutes 25 seconds. However could Ermeti from De Rosa team continuously being in a tempo bring a surprise at the flat track? While all of these were taking place, the eyes were turned to tempo at the main group. Again we witnessed tactical course in every pedalling of Columbia and ISD-Neri. Greipel pedalled in the pool of Columbia while Visconti pedalled with the blockade of ISD-Neri. Uncompromising attitude of the teams towards each other and attuning of Cofidis to these two teams within time was in a manner, indication that there would not be a big change in the general individual classification at the end of this stage. Who knows maybe terrific sprinter of Columbia, Greipel was reviewing how he remained 4 minutes 20 seconds behind ISD-Neri rider, Visconti.

Prime Minister Erdoğan and Binali Yıldırım were at the Track!

The fivefold on the lead decreased the difference under 1 minute for a moment but later recovered. However this difference decreased to 1 minute 19 seconds as 34 km left to the finish and at that moment the wonderful weather at the start left its place suddenly to the rain. Now the tempo would slowdown and the main group would get the chance to catch the leading group. Yet the most important of all, Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdoğan and Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım, watched the race for a while from the area they were for the opening of a tunnel as riders were approaching to Antalya. Erdoğan and Yıldırım later made the opening of the Antalya Airport Domestic Flights Terminal.

Ermeti Grabs the Last Sprint!

De Rosa rider Giairo Ermeti grabbed the Sprint Premium in Göynük. Iglesias Rodriguez from Galicia ranked second and Aristide Ratti from Carmiooro ranked third. The difference between the main group and the fivefold on the lead was gradually closing up. Mustafa Sayar and Fatih Harmancı competing from Turkish team were within the main group. As 30 km left to the finish, it was seen that the difference decreased less than 1 minute. As 15 km left to the finish there were breaks from the fivefold. Ratti from Carmiooro and Iglesias from Galicia fell behind. Ermeti from De Rosa, Malori from Lampre and Cheng Ji from Shimano started to make tempo on the lead. And later Ratti from Carmiooro and Iglesias from Galicia got caught to the main group. This time the trio on the lead increased the difference up to 1 minute. As 5 km left to the finish, Cheng Ji from Shimano made an attack second time and forge ahead but later fell behind and got caught by the main group.

There were two riders on the lead; Ermeti from De Rosa and Malori from Lampre. As 3 km left to the finish the expected happened and the main group united with the two on the lead. As 2 km left to the finish, again we started to watch attack over attack. Again a worthwhile finish was waiting for us. And the expected finish was made by Elia Viviani from Liquigas.

Terrible Accident!

As 1 km left to the finish, a terrible accident happened as the group entered a very sharp bend. 15-20 riders clashed and tumbled down. It was observed that there were too many injured but the group continued. There were also many riders from Columbia among fallen. And it was learnt that the braking mistake of a leading rider of Columbia caused the accident.

2010-04-18

Fifth stage win for Greipel, first stage race overall win for Visconti

Giovanni Visconti will bring back the first “Turquoise maillot” to Italy as the colour of the leader’s jersey has changed from yellow to the mythical colour of Turkish birthstone this year. This is the first stage race overall win for the 27 year old but the 46th Presidential Tour of Turkey will also be remembered for the five stage wins of the great German sprinter Andre Greipel from the world’s best team HTC-Columbia who scored again in the town of Alanya at the end of the eight days “Tur”.

2010-04-15

Team soul

We are hosting important names, managers, hundreds of employees of cycling world in the organization of the 46th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey which we gave start with the prologue stage in İstanbul on April 11. While we are witnessing the struggle of popular atheletes of the world from one stage to another everyday, we are beginning to the day with security forces, employees of highways, race course supplies teams who prepares the roads that the convoy will pass and advance groups that are welcoming them by preparing racing areas at finish zones.

2010-04-06

Feyzi Acikalin

TUR is Not Only A Cycling Race

One of the primary task of the state is to ensure its citizens the right of doing sports and competition. Simply thinking, a bicycle race enters into this context. But, if you organize the mother of the races, it is different…