Andre Greipel of Lotto Soudal has won the fourth stage of the 51st Presidential Tour of Turkey.
A 132km stage from Fethiye, formerly Telmessos, on a wide bay strewn with islands, with its fortress built by the Knights of Rhodes and its elaborate rock tombs, carved into the cliffs by the Lycians. to Marmaris, where Mark Cavendish had won in 2014, saw Davide Rebelin of CCC Sprandl the new race leader.
At Göcek, a place where according to legend, Icarus fell into the sea after flying too close to the sun on wings made of feathers and wax, Simion, B Feillu, Roe, Yamamoto, De Ketele and Grechyn were flying high with a lead of 3.30 after twenty kilometres.
Twenty kilometres later and the gap was down to eighteen seconds a number of attacks on the first climb had caused splits in the peloton.
That group was soon caught and a new group of Berhane, Nicola Boem, Guillou, Planet, Pozzo and Seeldraeyers took over and they were 1.33 ahead going into the final fifty kilometres of the stage.
On another glorious day which is always a feature of this race, the six escapers had a lead of 1.12 with twenty five kilometres left.
With 17.7kms, there was a big crash which saw a couple of Lampre riders including Mario Costa hitting the deck whilst up the front, the gap had fallen to less than thirty seconds on a unclassified climb.
With 11.5kms to go, the peloton were in sight and the break was over. Jay McCarthy, Agnoli, Quintero, Mas and Serge Pauwels were part of a new five man attack which was eight seconds clear with seven kilometres left.
Agnoli tried to attack with three kilometres to go in order to add some distance between them and the peloton. Luis Mas Bonet took over on the front followed by McCarthy of Tinkoff Saxo.
There was a crash with 2.1kms left on a left hand bend, and onto the cobblestones in Marmaris, on a fast run in, McCarthy and Mas were caught.
German Champion Andre Greipel was well placed and he won in 3.22.09, a couple of bike lengths ahead of Colli, Ratto and Cort Nielsen.
Davide Reblin continues to lead the race.
Source: DSG