56th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2.Pro) Stage 8 (Final) Bodrum >> Kusadasi (160.3km)
The final stage in the Tour of Turkey we saw Mark Cavendish taking his 4th stage victory of the week. In the final sprint, the Manx pocket rocket from Deceuninck-Quick Step was a sigh faster than Jasper Philipsen. When the last breakaway was caught, a very nervous preparation for a bunch sprint broke out. Jay Vine (Alpecin-Fenix) lost control and crashed, thankfully it was within the last 3 kilometers, so the lost time was not charged to him. In the final kilometer, Philipsen and Cavendish went shoulder-to-shoulder literally, and
Cavendish slid into his wheel and timed that perfectly. Philipsen launched the sprint, but had no answer in the final meters against Cavendish’s powerful dash to the line and winning his 150th pro-win of his career. Philipsen finished second in Turkey 4 times after Cavendish, but he could also cheer twice himself. The overall victory in the Tour of Turkey is for the Spaniard José Manuel Diaz after his team Delko policed the whole stage well. Our Jesse Ewart lost touch with the sprinting bunch and had to give 13 seconds away…he finished 27th in the GC. Cormac McGeough finished the race as 87th in the GC…solid performance from both Irish Riders
