This year’s Tour of Turkey starts with a short time trial. At only 5km in length, no one will lose the entire race here, but it could be enough for some of the GC outsiders to make an impression. The majority of the course is flat but the final 400 metres are a climb that maxes out at 11.2%. Though too short to really favour the puncheurs, this climb could well throw a spanner in the works for some riders.
The favourites mentioned for today are rather predictable. Ian Stannard tops almost everyone’s list with a decent list of podium contenders. Brian Vandborg is mentioned quite often as are the Koppert duo Ronan Van Zandbeek and Pim Ligthart. The majority of the big favourites will be leaving the gate earlier in the day but there are a few of the favourites such as Ignas Konovalovas who are leaving with the other GC men.
The man starting the race off for us today is Kenny Van Hummel. Far from being a time trialist, he will instead be looking for the final few stages to try to get a sprint victory. For the moment he is likely scouting out the course for his team leader Lindgren.
Van Hummel goes through the first time check at 4’27” and through the finishing gate in 8’46”. However, few people are paying attention because already the big man for the day is out on course. Ian Stannard, the British TT champion.
He storms through the first half of the course, going through the 3km mark in 4’13”. Some had said that the final climb would test him today but he rubbished that idea as he shaved even more time off Van Hummel’s early run and goes through in 8’25”. The question now is – will this hold?
Brian Vandborg hopes not. He comes out just as Stannard is getting to the finishing line.
Vandborg goes through the first checkpoint in 4’16”, just 3 seconds slower than Stannard had managed at the same point. He does his best to make up time on the final climb but he can’t manage it and he comes through in 8’30”, a full 5 seconds slower than Stannard. It is going to be hard for many other people to challenge Stannard’s time, but it is a long day.
The next two men to give it a go are South African time trial champion James Perry.
And New Zealand time trial champion Hayden Roulston
Perry goes through in 8’35” (+10”) and Roulston goes through in 8’34” (+9”). That is two more challengers down for Stannard, and with every cyclist who comes through his victory is looking more and more secure.
Pim Ligthart is the next rider who rises to the challenge. He blazes through the first part of the course, clocking 4’14”, only 1 second slower than Stannard did it. Ligthart is riding beyond all expectations here!
He comes up the finish line and the crowd holds its breath. The seconds tick over, it is definitely better than the time of Vanborg... But it is not to be. He comes through a mere 2 seconds slower than Stannard but proves that Stannard is human. Ligthart can be proud of his performance today, even if he didn’t win.
The top 5 look like this after the first major round of riders:
Name
Check 1
Finish
Gap
Ian Stannard
4’13”
8’25”
---
Pim Ligthart
4’14”
8’27”
+2”
Brian Vandborg
4’16”
8’30”
+5”
Hayden Roulston
4’19”
8’34”
+9”
James Perry
4’20”
8’35”
+10”
There are only three more names who are considered real challengers to Stannard’s chances here. All of them have come here leading their teams. The first two of these come out of the gate very shortly after one another. First up is Johan Lindgren.
Who is shortly followed by Ronan Van Zandbeek, who was mentioned by many as a big favourite for today.
Both of them ride terrific time trials and the group cheers as Lindgren crosses the line. The have a new face in the top 5! Lindgren goes through in 8’33”, missing Vandborg’s time by 3 seconds. So that puts him in 4th place.
Until Zandbeek crosses the line. Zandbeek manages to shave 2 seconds off Lindgren’s time, but still just misses out on the podium by only a single second to Vandborg. The Danish TT champion was looking nervous there. Here is the new top 5:
Name
Check 1
Finish
Gap
Ian Stannard
4’13”
8’25”
---
Pim Ligthart
4’14”
8’27”
+2”
Brian Vandborg
4’16”
8’30”
+5”
Ronan Van Zandbeek
4’16”
8’31”
+6”
Johan Lindgren
4’18”
8’33”
+8”
At this point the GC contenders start to come thick and fast.
Alex Dowsett
Thomas Voeckler
And Cesare Di Maggio
Are the first three to come through. They seem to be competing for who can ride the worst time trial today. Dowsett comes through 27 seconds down on his compatriot and teammate Stannard. Voeckler does even worse at 31 seconds down and Di Maggio matches Dowsett at 27 seconds. None of these riders are noted for the time trialing abilities, it is true, but they will still have to start thinking about where they can make time up on some of the other GC riders. Two such riders are Giovanni Visconti
And Ben Hermans.
Visconti is a rider who hasn’t been mentioned a lot when it comes to this race but he is determined to make everyone give him a second thought. He rides into a provisional 17th place, coming in only 16 seconds down on Stannard. Already he has put himself more than 10 seconds ahead of the three favourites who have already ridden through.
Ben Hermans does even better. He was only 9 seconds down at the intermediate checkpoint and at the end of the stage he was able to ride into a provisional 14th, 14 seconds down on the time of Stannard. That is an impressive ride that has got Rothaus’ campaign off to a great start.
Next up is the last man who was talked up before today as a potential challenger to Stannard’s domination. Ignas Konovalovas, the Lithuanian TT champion, who is by far the best time trialist of the GC men who are here for this event.
Konovalovas blitzes through the opening part of the course, setting himself up as the 5th best time at the intermediate checkpoint! The Lithuanian seems to be on great form today and is out to prove that he is a serious contender for the title here. He comes through the finish line and puts himself into a magnificent 5th place, going one place better than time trial specialist Lindgren. He was only 6 seconds down on Stannard.
The only two men left to come through are the two big favourites for the race. Sammy Sanchez is first.
He is just 9 seconds down at the intermediate point and somehow holds his speed to the line to come in 10th place, only 11 seconds down. What a superb ride from a man who isn’t renowned for this part of the sport.
Matthias Kessler is the last man out, having the title of overall favourite.
Kessler just doesn’t seem to be on the same fine form that Sanchez is but still manage 15th place at the line, 12 seconds down on Stannard but only 1 second down on Sanchez. This is going to be a classic GC duel.
Stannard absolutely dominated today and he takes the stage, the overall lead, the points lead and the young rider’s jersey. Koppert, as a reward for their superb performances today, take the lead in the team classification.
