April 30/15 12:15 pm - Tour of Turkey: Stage 5

Posted by Editoress on 04/30/15
 

Sacha Modolo (Lampre - Merida) won a difficult uphill sprint at the completion of stage 5 of the Tour of Turkey, Muğla to Pamukkale. 159.9 km. Carlos Barbero (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) was second, and Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff - Saxo), fourth in the GC, was third in the stage.

Modolo also took the lead in the points competition, and was presented with the Green jersey, on the podium.

In Modolo’s wake, Rebellin added 15 seconds to his lead over second-placed Kristijan Durasek (Lampre - Merida).


The day began with news that yesterday’s stage winner, André Greipel (Lotto Soudal, dossard 31), would not start the stage. This changed the complexion of the race: Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal), so strong in the final kilometres yesterday, and tenth at the Pamukkale stage finish in 2011, was potentially the new team leader.

The reshaped Lotto Soudal team was  quickly active in the stage. After a little over twenty minutes of racing, three riders broke free and established the early breakaway. They were Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Alessandro Bazzana (UnitedHealthcare) and Frederik Veuchelen (Wanty - Groupe Goubert).

Going into the stage, none of the three had any points in the mountains or sprints competitions. With a maximum of 8 mountain points available in the stage, Juan Pablo Valencia (Team Colombia) could be content: if the breakaway stayed clear, he would retain his lead in the Red Jersey competition, sponsored by Turkish Airlines. Bazzana was in a position to defend the position of his team-mate, Federico Zurlo, equal on points with the competition leader Lluis Mas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA). Even so, with only one Beauties of Turkey sprint per day, and five points, the danger was that yet another rider would take up position on 5 points, breathing over the shoulders of Mas and Zurlo.

The leading trio built a maximum lead of 7m 11s.

Valencia added to his lead in the Red Jersey competition after the Category 3 climb at 74.9 km. With 16 points, he was now 6 points ahead of his closest rivals - Davide Rebellin (CCC Sprandi Polowice) and Songezo Jim (MTN - Qhubeka)

Alessandro Bazzana  took top points at the intermediate sprint at 100.4 km.
although the lead of Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick Step) in the Green Jersey competition, was unaffected.

Etixx - Quick Step riders chase

Bazzana, Veuchelen and De Gendt were then caught by a group of 9 riders that had attacked from the peloton: Sean De Bie (Lotto Soudal), Damien Howson (Orica GreenEDGE), Davide Appollonio (Androni Giocattoli), Frédéric Brun (Bretagne - Seché Environnement), Ferrari (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Natnael Berhane (MTN - Qhubeka), Songezo Jim (MTN - Qhubeka), Jef Van Meirhaeghe (Topsport Vlaandered - Baloise) and Ahmet Akdilek  (Torku Şekerspor).

These nine built a maximum lead of 42 seconds.  

Inside 43 km to go,  Lluis Mas (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) attacked from the front of the peloton, hoping to cross to the 9 man breakaway, but was chased down by the peloton, led by Etixx - Quick Step riders.

The Category 3 climb after 111.5  km ended with Songezo Jim (MTN - Qhubeka) taking the maximum 5 pts

Jim now has 15 points in the mountains jersey, just one less than Juan Pablo Valencia (Team Colombia, 118). The mountains competition is turning into a nail biter.

The high spped chase neutralised the attack and, with 123 km to go, the peloton was compact again.

Within 30 kms of the stage finish, another small  group took off from the front of the peloton:

Nazim Bakurci (Torku Şekerspor), Jan Ghyselinck (Wanty - Groupe Goubert3) and, incredibly, Alessandro Bazzana (UnitedHealthcare), again. When they were caught, another Torku Şekerspor attacked, but was quickly caught by the peloton, led by five UnitedHealthcare riders, setting up the sprint for Federico Zurlo.


Just after the sprint at km 139, Dmitri Gruzdev (Astana Pro Team)  attacked off the front, but, by now, the sprint teams - Etixx - Quick Step and Bardiani CSF were at the front, keeping the pace too high for a solo attack.

Sacha Modolo wins

The inevitable sprint finish ended in favour of the Italian sprinter Sacha Modolo (Lampre - Merida), who took the second win of his Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey career after Stage 6, Bodrum-Kusadasi, in the 2012 Tour of Turkey. The stage winner’s haul of 15 points gave Modolo the lead in the points jersey. He received the Green jersey, sponsored by the Turkish bicycle marque Salcano, on the podium.


Quotes by Sacha Modolo (Lampre - Merida), winner, stage five
Q: Tell us about the stage finish.
A: I didn’t know much about it! I was a bit behind with 1 km to go. I might have touched a wheel, or someone might have touched me from behind, but I nearly came to a halt and I had to start almost from a standstill. Then again, other riders were coming backwards at me. This is my type of finish. I had good legs and I left at 200m. I didn’t want to miss the stages that really suit me. After yesterday’s stage got away from me, I wanted to win today.
Q: Your ride in last year’s TUR was very different. Why the change?
A: Last year, I had another programme. I knew that after the Tour of Turkey I would finish a block of racing. Last year I came here after a fall at Roubaix, and I wasn’t going well. I had two broken ribs, which is why I abandoned. Since I was going to take a break afterwards anyway, it made no sense not to.
This year, I wanted to come to prepare for the Giro d’Italia, but also to win a stage so that I would go to the Giro d’Italia with a good mentality. I have been strong since January. but i haven’t won a race. Even so, I have prepared all, and this is the confirmation.
Q: What is your program after the Tour of Turkey?
A: The Giro d’Italia, then the Tour de Suisse, and then we’ll see. Cassini has convoked me of the European Championships. I’ve told him that, if I’m good, I’ll do it with pleasure, but if I’m not going well, there’s no point in taking a slot away from someone who is in form. But I’d like to go. Then I’ll take a break,  because I’ve been racing hard since January. After that, we’ll see.
Q: The seventh stage has a big climb before the finish? Can you get over it and win the stage?
A: Yes! And then, in Istanbul, we’ll see. I rode the finish in 2010, when it was the opening time trial [Ed: won by Greipel. Modolo finished 22nd]. It’s an unknown. But there was lots of climbing today, so why shouldn’t I be able to win the last stage?
Q: Does this win give you confidence going into the Giro d’Italia?
A: Yes, I wanted this win. In January, I came up against Gaviria and Cavendish in Argentina. And since then,  I haven’t competed in a sprint. I fell on stage one of Tirreno, so I wasn’t involved there. I restarted sprinting at De Panne, and here I really wanted a win.
Q: How is your second stage win at the TUR different from the first?  

A: This one is special because I didn’t beat sprinters today, I beat riders who are good clibmers. You had to have good legs to do that. On this stage, sprinters do not normally finish in the top ten, so this  shows that I’m here, finally. This has been good for me.

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