André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) took what turned out to be a simple sprint victory in the fourth stage of the 2013 Presidential Tour of Turkey between Gocek and Marmaris, at the head of what was left of the peloton. The big German “Gorilla” was the only one of the top sprinters who managed to stay with the front of the peloton as it shattered on a late, unclassified climb, and met little challenge as he powered in to the line.
Second place was taken by Greipel’s compatriot Nikias Arndt (Argos-Shimano), who managed to hold off fellow 21-year-old neo-pro Moreno Hofland (Blanco) in the sprint to the line.
“Ten kilometers before the finish it went uphill till six kilometers to go, then it was downhill," Greipel explained afterwards. "The last two kilometers were flat.
"We didn’t need to work today, because Adam was in the breakaway," he continued. "I could stay with the front group when it went uphill the last time, there were no other sprinters left. Then I took my chance and got the victory.
"We look day by day, if there’s another sprint we’ll try again, like Sunday in Istanbul,” the German added.
Stage three winner Natnael Berhane (Europcar) managed to stay in the front group, despite losing all of his teammates, and so held on to the turquoise leader’s jersey at the head of an unchanged general classification.
The 147km stage saw a 13-man group escape in the opening kilometre, but never able to get very far ahead. With its composition changing a little in the hilly first half of the stage, it was eventually composed of 12 riders as it tackled the mostly headwind second half.
In the group were Michael Hepburn (Orica-GreenEdge), Mikhail Ignatyev and Timofey Kritskiy (Katusha), Nico Sijmens (Cofidis), Adrian Kurek and Nikolay Mihaylov (CCC Polsat-Polkowice), Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka), Anthony Delaplace (Sojasun), Pier Paolo De Negri (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia), Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol), Sergiy Gretchyn (Torku Seker Spor) and Renaud Dion (Bretagne-Séché).
An attack from Delaplace with just over 40km to go saw him joined by Iganatiev, who then attacked and went alone himself. With the peloton not far behind however, the group was steadily swept up in ones and twos, with the Russian caught with 20km to go after the first of two unclassified climbs in the final part of the stage.
There was then a counterattack from Mirak Kal (Torku Seker Spor), Sébastien Duret (Bretagne-Séché) and Favilli (Lampre-Merida), Duber Quintero and Juan Pablo Valencia (both Colombia), Timmy Duggan (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), but it was soon pulled back.
Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Armindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Séché), Jose Pimenta (NetApp-Endura) and David De La Fuente (Torku Seker Spor) managed to get away on the second of the unclassified climbs, but aggression on the head of the peloton pulled them back before the top. De La Fuente went again and was joined by Kevin Seeldraeyers (Astana) on the descent to the finish. The remains of the peloton was right on their heels, however, and the duo was closed down by Argos-Shimano with three kilometres to go.
Sojasun, Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Argos-Shimano led the peloton into the final kilometre; Sojasun took the race into the finishing straight, but Greipel cruised around to take what looked like an easy victory.
Result stage 4
1. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol
2. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Argos-Shimano
3. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling
4. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
5. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
6. Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
7. Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environment
8. Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis
9. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Sojasun
10. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Standings after stage 4
1. Natnael Berhane (Eri) Team Europcar
2. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Team Astana @ 10s
3. Mustafa Sayar (Tur) Torku Seker Spor @ 12s
4. Maxime Mederel (Fra) Sojasun @ 26s
5. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff @ 34s
6. Yoann Bagot (Fra) Cofidis
7. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
8. Florian Guillou (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environment @ 38s
9. John Darwin Atapuma (Col) Colombia @ 40s
10. Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis @ 43s