Adam Yates Takes Over in Turkey

AFP / Yuzuru Sunada

Young British rider Adam Yates took over the leader’s jersey at the Tour of Turkey after winning Friday’s 183km sixth stage from Bodrum to Selcuk. On a hilly course, the 21-year-old beat Italians Davide Formolo and Davide Rebellin by two seconds in a solo attack on the uphill finish. Previous leader Rein Taaramae had started the day 6 seconds ahead of Yates, whose twin brother Simon is also a professional cyclist, but lost 7 seconds on the stage in coming home fourth.

Yates’s victory continued his Orica GreenEDGE team’s impressive recent form coming a day after Swiss Michael Albasini’s stage victory at the Tour of Romandie. It also came less than a week after Australian Simon Gerrans won the prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege race for the team from his homeland.

With just two stages remaining, Yates holds a one second lead over Cofidis’s Taaramae with Frenchman Romain Hardy, who was seventh in Selcuk, 39 seconds behind. Saturday’s seventh stage of the 50th edition of this race is a 132km ride from Kusadasi to Izmir.

Tour of Turkey Stage 6
1. Adam Yates (GBR/Omega) 4:11:46
2. Davide Formolo (ITA/Cannondale) @ :02
3. Davide Rebellin (ITA/CCC Polsat) @ s.t.
4. Rein Taaramae (EST/Cofidis) @ :07
5. Kristijan Durasak (CRO/Lampre) s.t.

General Classification After Stage 6
1. Adam Yates (GBR/Omega) 24:46:57
2. Rein Taaramae (EST/Cofidis) @ :01
3. Romain Hardy (FRA/Cofidis) @ :39
4. Davide Formolo (ITA/Cannondale) @ :40
5. Davide Rebellin (ITA/CCC Polsat) @ :44