April 27, 2026
Tactics should be more complicated than yesterday for the 153 km, second stage from Aydın to Marmaris. There is a bit more climbing to be done but the key is where the elevation lays in respect to the finish line. The first 100 km of the day are either flat or rolling upwards, with the highest point coming atop a category three climb about 700 meters above where the riders started the day at sea level. There is a fast descent off the climb with multiple hairpins into the town of Akyaka. In the last 30 km, there are two hills that will disrupt the sprint teams. The first is 2.3 km at 6.7% and tops out 25 km from the finish. The second has a similar gradient but is 1 km longer and comes just 10 km from the line. It will be a mad dash down the descent to stay in contact with the front of the race if the fast men want another chance at the victory in Marmaris.
Race Summary
The Mediterranean was glistening under unabated sunshine when the riders lined up for the team presentation at the start of the day. After a 10 km neutral, the attacks came and there were plenty of teams interested going up the road. In the end, nine riders broke free with the group consisting of Michał Pomorski of ATT Investments again as well as Tomáš Bárta of Istanbul Team, Ali Egin, Muhammed Erkan, and Mustafa Tarakcı of Konya Büyükşehir Belediye Spor, Arda Teki̇rdağ of Muğla Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü, Feritcan Şamli and Kaan Soylu Ozkalbim of Spor Toto, and Axandre Van Petegem of Tarteletto-Isorex. With 75 km to go, their lead was a hair under 2 minutes with Flanders Baloise and Alpecin-Premier Tech chasing behind.
The bunch had the break pegged and were in full control of the outcome. When the break neared the top of the wide, four lane category three climb, they were 1 minute 45 seconds ahead. The mountains points at the top were of greater interest than preserving a gap but only Van Petegem and Pomorski were in contention by the top. Pomorski won the sprint handily and the pair started the descent with the remnants of the break working hard to get back on.
Şamli and Egin made it back on to make four at the front after the descent flattened out with the remaining five coalescing around 45 seconds behind. The four leaders began the fast, highway descent into Akyaka at 40 km remaining with a 1 minute 50 second lead on the peloton. The views on the downhill were incredible. The sea was straight ahead with the Muğla mountains rising up out of the water on three sides of the bay. The gap was down to 1 minute 15 seconds by the bottom with Alpecin-Premier Tech still riding but also had Cofidis for help pulling turns.
Sitting in the bunch was of great benefit on the first of the hills towards the finish because the road was more of a drag and still more than two lanes wide. Nearly the entire peloton was together when the break were caught with 14 km to go. When the bunch reached the last hill before the finish, there were a few attacks from Unibet Rose Rockets and MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort but the sprinters were stretched when Modern Adventure hit the front. Simon Dehairs of Alpecin-Premier Tech was distanced along with Timothy Dupont of Tarteletto-Isorex. Yesterday's stage winner, Tom Crabbe of Flanders Baloise, was also struggling at the back and a gap formed between he and the main body of the peloton. Crabbe went over the top with 10 km to go only about 20 seconds after the bunch with a few teammates around for support.
About 70 riders were in the peloton when the road flattened with 6 km to go. It was still unclear whether the sprinter's group was back on but likely not since neither Alpecin-Premier Tech or Flanders Baloise were visible at the front of the peloton. With 4.5 km to go, Lev Gonov of XDS-Astana took a flyer but Picnic-PostNL and Polti-VisitMalta reeled him back in. Picnic-PostNL and Equipo Kern Pharma were driving the pace but just under 3 km to go, Crabbe appeared in picture and moved himself up into a good position. Equipo Kern Pharma had four riders lined up and pulling hard on the front through 1,500 meters to go. Picnic-PostNL were nestled in behind with the rest of the field fighting amongst themselves. Modern Adventure moved up at 1 km to go with one rider from Flanders Baloise guiding Crabbe into the final lead out. A big crash with 700 meters to brought down at least 15 riders and held up plenty more.
Only about 25 riders made it through including many of the stage favorites. Dehairs was not part of the sprint group to make it back in but his teammate, Sente Sentjens was, and was being led out by Jonas Rickaert at 500 meters to go. Behind Sentjens was Davide Ballerini of XDS-Astana, then Crabbe and César Macías of Burgos-Burpellet BH who were shouldering each other for Ballerini's wheel. When Sentjens opened the sprint, it was right around 200 meters to go which normally would be perfect timing but a rocket was coming from behind. Crabbe came off of Rickaert and out of the slip stream. He went right passed Macías and Ballerini and was level with Sentjens at 40 meters from the line. The momentum was all in favor of Crabbe who hit the line first for the second time in as many days. Sentjens was strong enough to hold on for second place with Macías sneaking in ahead of Ballerini for third place.