CYCLING: Prades wins Tour of Turkey on final day

Ireland’s Sam Bennett won his third stage in the 54th Presidential Tour of Turkey on Sunday, but the race for the overall title was decided just behind him.

While Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) led going into the final day, the race was close with 11 riders within 10 seconds of his lead. Bennett raced away from the field with 1.5 km to go, but there was a mass finish behind him and a late crash hindered Lutsenko and Spain’s Eduard Prades was able to push ahead for second overall.

That gave him a time bonus of six seconds and with Lutsenko finishing well back in 13th, allowed Prades to equal him on overall time and with a better finish, take the overall title. It was his first UCI World Tour win.

The 2018 UCI World Tour will end this week with the GREE-Tour of Guangxi in China. Summaries:

UCI World Tour/Presidential Tour of Turkey
Turkey ~ 9-14 October 2018
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (148.4 km): 1. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), 3:29:14; 2. Sam Bennett (IRL), 3:29:14; 3. Jempy Drucker (LUX), 3:29:14; 4. Alvaro Jose Hodeg (COL), 3:29:14; 5. Brenton Jones (AUS), 3:29:14.

Stage 2 (149.6 km): 1. Bennett (IRL), 3:24:37; 2. Hodeg (COL), 3:24:37; 3. Simone Consonni (ITA), 3:24:37; 4. Drucker (LUX), 3:24:37; 5. Ivan Garcia (ESP), 3:24:37.

Stage 3 (132.7 km): 1. Bennett (IRL), 3:16:27; 2. Richeze (ARG), 3:16:27; 3. John Degenkolb (GER), 3:16:27; 4. Patrick Bevan (NZL), 3:16:27; 5. Ahmet Orkan (TUR), 3:16:27.

Stage 4 (205.5 km): 1. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), 5:24:22; 2. Diego Ulissi (ITA), 5:24:22; 3. Eduard Prades (ESP), 5:24:22; 4. James Knox (GBR), 5:24:22; 5. Nicolas Roche (IRL), 5:25:22. Also in the top 50: 11. Brent Bookwalter (USA), 5:24:22.

Stage 5 (135.7 km): 1. Hodeg (COL), 3:15:12; 2. Degenkolb (GER), 3:15:12; 3. Nathan Haas (AUS), 3:15:12; 4. Bennett (IRL), 3:15:12; 5. Christophe Noppe (BEL), 3:15:12.

Stage 6 (164.0 km): 1. Bennett (IRL), 3:36:28; 2. Prades (ESP), 3:36:34; 3. Drucker (LUX), 3:36:34; 4. Mike Teunissen (NED), 3:36:34; 5. Szymon Sajnok (POL), 3:36:34. Also in the top 50: 37. Bookwalter (USA), 3:36:34.

Final Standings: 1. Eduard Prades (ESP), 22:26:16; 2. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), +0:00; 3. Nathan Haas (AUS), +0:04; 4. Diego Ulissi (ITA), +0:04; 5. Fabio Felline (ITA), +0:09; 6. Ruben Guerreiro (POR), +0:10; 7. Delio Fernandez (ESP), +0:10; 8. Matteo Fabbro (ITA), +0:10; 9. Mauro Finetto (ITA), +0:10; 10. Nicolas Roche (IRL), +0:10. Also in the top 50: 12. Brent Bookwalter (USA), +