Prades takes Tour of Turkey title as Ireland’s Bennett bags third stage win

Eduard Prades snatched overall victory in the 54th Presidential Tour of Turkey on Sunday as Ireland’s Sam Bennett broke away to record his third stage win of the 2018 event.

Spaniard Prades, who rides for the Euskadi Basque Country-Murias team, finished first in the six-stage 950-kilometre race after edging out Kazakhtan’s Alexey Lutsenko by the narrowest of margins.

The pair finished equal on time but Prades’ second-placed finish on Sunday – including a six-second time bonus – combined with his superior placings over the competition were crucial, with Lutsenko only able to cross the line in 13th spot on the final stage.

Australia’s Nathan Haas (Katusha-Alpecin) was third overall, four seconds adrift of the top two.

Bora-Hansgrohe rider Bennett, who led the classification after winning both the second and third stages, took the day’s honours on Sunday thanks to a late solo attack which saw him finish six seconds clear of the field.

Bennett’s first two wins came in bunch sprints, but his seventh Tour of Turkey success in two seasons came in audacious fashion for a fine finish to his 2018 season.

“With the top-10 on GC (general classification) sitting so close on time, I knew I needed to just ride when the moment was right and it paid off,” Bennett, who finished 91st in the final classification, said on bora-hansgrohe.com.

“Attacks were imminent and the legs felt good so I made sure to get the win for the team and to take home the Sprint Jersey too.

“I’m so happy that this is how I’ve finished my 2018 season.”