Team NetApp defends Baugnies’ 16th place in the overall standing
The seventh stage of the Tour of Turkey covered 124 km from Kusadasi to Izmir. In a thrilling finale, Iljo Keisse (OmegaPharma – Quick Step) managed to prevail over Marcel Kittel (Argos – Shimano) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre – ISD). Team NetApp’s riders crossed the finish line with the peloton. Jerome Baugnies held on to his 16th-place standing, as planned.
“Today was a quiet stage for us. Unfortunately, we missed out on making the leap into the group. The sprinter teams took charge of the chase, which meant we could save some energy. In the final part of the race we didn’t do anything too risky, just avoided the rush,” said Jens Heppner, Team NetApp's Sport Director, describing the stage.
A six-man lead group determined today’s outcome. The field kept the group in check at a steady distance so that they could be caught up with again before the finish. However, Keisse launched an attack from the group with just six kilometers to go. In spite of a crash that occurred on the final curve, he managed to cross the line with a narrow lead.
The final stage, a 15-km circuit around Istanbul, will be held on Sunday. The riders will have to make eight laps around the circular course. “Tomorrow will see another sprint finale. We’ll try to keep up again and make a good showing at the end of the tour,” Jens Heppner said, looking ahead to tomorrow's race.
