56. Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey

Mark Cavendish finished just outside the podium in Marmaris, where Tour of Turkey stage 6 concluded, for his fifth top 5 at this year’s edition. The script of the day was a pretty unusual one, with a break going clear with a shade over 60 kilometers to go after plenty of skirmishes following the start on Fethiye. They were allowed to put three minutes between them and a peloton controlled by Iljo Keisse and Fabio Jakobsen, who worked hard and swapped turns at the front to keep the gap of the four escapees in check.

Everything came back together on the final climb, inside 15 kilometers to go, where an injection of pace at the front and a series of powerful attacks dropped many riders on a short but brutal section featuring double-digit ramps. Over the top of the ascent, the moves kept coming but they were fruitless, as the field reeled in those trying to prevent the stage from coming down to a bunch sprint.

Brought close to the front of the group by his Deceuninck – Quick-Step team – who couldn’t rely on Shane Archbold due to a mechanical – Mark Cavendish kicked out with 150 meters to go just as they were coming out of a right-hand bend and took fourth in the coastal city founded more than 2000 years ago.

“I won this stage before and I also got dropped on the final climb before, so we didn’t know how many of us would make it over it. We had a plan today, but unfortunately Shane lost his chain in the final kilometer and I had to wait for the others to launch the sprint, while I opened mine a bit late. It is as it is, but hopefully we’ll have the chance to get some more good results in the last two stages”, said Mark, who retained the lead in the points standings.

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