Top-10 for Lonardi in a great stage for EOLO KOMETA in Turkey

EOLO KOMETA team was very active on the second day of the Tour of Turkey, taking 9th place in the stage with Giovanni Lonardi and attacking with Mirco Maestri and Álex Martín in the final part to surprise and try to break the sprint finish.

A breakaway of five riders that was being selected and reached more than 3 minutes marked the first half of the stage. Taking advantage of the hardest climb of the 2nd category, a counterattack group led by Mirco Maestri tried to break the race without having too much gap.

It was in the hard final part, already within the decisive 7 kilometers, when Álex Martín launched an attack that was followed by Jay Vine (UAE), but he could not get away.

Everything seemed to be left for the sprint finish, so Mirco Maestri gave it all to place in the last kilometer a brave Lonardi, but could not go beyond the 9th place at the finish line. Philipsen (Alpecin) repeated his victory and is keeps leader jersey.

Álex Martín: “With 45 kilometers to go or there was a long climb that left riders but still a very large group, the end was very nervous on a road along the coast up and down where I tried to move a little but they did not give any margin. There are tougher stages but tomorrow is undoubtedly the queen stage with many meters of elevation gain and a tough final climb”.

Jesús Hernández: “The team rode very seriously, in the final zone, we played our cards like other teams looking to break the sprint. Mirco led the bunch in the last meters to stretch the group and get a clean finish with Lonardi, who followed the good wheel of Philipsen but could not hold the winner. If we keep riding like this, the results will come”.