Matteo Rabottini takes stage at Tour of Turkey, Tom Peterson takes lead
Matteo Rabottini takes the win at the end of stage five. Tom Peterson (Garmin-Cervélo) powered into the leader’s jersey at the Tour of Turkey in Thursday’s fifth stage and takes a commanding 27-second lead with just three stages to go at the weeklong race. Peterson was part of…
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Tom Peterson (Garmin-Cervélo) powered into the leader’s jersey at the Tour of Turkey in Thursday’s fifth stage and takes a commanding 27-second lead with just three stages to go at the weeklong race.
Peterson was part of a 10-man breakaway that gain more than 11 minutes on the main group and turned the GC upside down.
Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini) won out of the breakaway, crossing the line victorious just ahead of Alexander Efimkin (Team Type 1). Peterson crossed the line fourth at three second adrift while Lucas Euser (SpiderTech) was sixth.
Peterson now holds a promising 27-second lead to second-place Cameron Wurf (Liquigas-Cannondale). Efimkin settled into third at 29 seconds back while overnight leader Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) came in with the lead group and fell to sixth at 11:45 back.
Efimkin gained the best climber’s jersey for his efforts, saying that the hilly route along the Aegean coast was ideal for another breakaway effort.
“The plan from the morning was to get into the break and drive for the general classification at the end,” Efimkin said in a team report. “The first KOM came early and we were rolling as a group when I passed it in second place. With those points and then riding first over the last climb after 124km I got Team Type 1’s first jersey of the season. It’s good for us, it’s good for me. It’s good to be the king.”
The 47th Turkey tour continues Friday with the 184km sixth stage from Fethiye to Finike in another hilly route along the Aegean coast. The course features a rather steep, 600-meter climb at 120km before settling into a bumpy run to the line. Garmin-Cervélo will be working to control the stage to keep Peterson in the jersey and to try to set up sprinter Tyler Farrar for the stage victory.
Peterson holds a 27-second lead over Wurf on GC and said he’s beginning to feel confident that he might take the overall.
“I guess I have a good chance of winning the Tour of Turkey now,” he said. “I have to look at the road book for the remaining three stages, but my team is really strong. The guys around me are really good, so I’m confident my team-mates can get me to the finish line. I feel like I’ll probably end up winning the race. There are only five guys to really watch.
Quick Results
- 1. Matteo Rabottini (Ita), Farnese Vini, 5:51:25
- 2. Alexander Efimkin (Rus), Team Type 1, at 0:00
- 3. Enrico Magazzini (Ita), Lampre-Farnese Vini, at 0:03
- 4. Thomas Peterson (USA), Garmin-Cervelo, at 0:03
- 5. Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Française Des Jeux, at 0:03
- 6. Lucas Euser (USA), Spidertech Powered By Planet Energy, at 0:03
- 7. Cameron Wurf (Aus), Liquigas-Doimo, at 0:03
- 8. Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned), Skil-Shimano, at 0:03
- 9. Andrey Zeits (Kaz), Astana, at 0:14
- 10. Eloy Ruiz Pinto (Esp), Andalucia Caja Granada, at 0:25
GC
- 1. Thomas Peterson (USA), Garmin-Cervelo, 22:49:41
- 2. Cameron Wurf (Aus), Liquigas-Doimo, at 0:27
- 3. Alexander Efimkin (Rus), Team Type 1, at 0:29
- 4. Andrey Zeits (Kz), Astana, at 0:1:42
- 5. Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Française des Jeux, at 0:2:02
