Bora-Hansgrobe’s rider, Sam Bennett, just won the opening stage of Tour of Turkey leaving behind Theuns and Benfatto.
Bennett, 26, is now enjoying a successful period on his career named as the best sprinter of the Yesterday’s race in the Presidential Tour of Turkey right after winning the Münsterland Giro in Germany a week ago. He is also a stage winner in this season’s Paris-Nice event and two other stages in the Tour of Slovenia along with two stages in the Czech Cycling Tour earlier this year.
He beat Italian rider, Marco Benfatto and Belgian Edward Thenus sprinting to the victory leaving them with second and third place respectively. Yesterday’s 170 km stage from Alanya to Kemer was relatively flat. However, once the race started, sprint skills went on display making six riders forming the day’s escape group.
The elite riders were: Onur Balkan, Batuhan Özgür (Turkey national team), Alex Turrin (Wilier), Vincenzo Albanese and Simone Sterbini (Bardiani CSF), Flavio Santos (Soul Brasil Cycling).
The Tour of Turkey has now the WorldTour status, however, it seems the tour organizers have been unable to attract more than four WorldTour teams.
OOF!
A nasty crash in the final few km’s of Stage One of the Tour of Turkey ? pic.twitter.com/Ui9cVcJ8Fv
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) October 10, 2017
Results of stage 1
Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe in 3-57-26
Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni-Sidermec-Bottechia
Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
Federico Zurlo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani-CSF
Niklay Trisov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
Shane Archbold (NZl) Bora-Hansgrohe
Davide Ballerini (Ita) Androni-Sidermec-Bottechia
Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice, all same time
General classification after stage one
Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni-Sidermec-Bottechia, at 4 secs
Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, at 6 secs
