Belkin lined up at the Tour of Turkey with their entire sprint train and had hoped to return from the race with at least two stage wins. After 8 days of racing, however, the team's best result is a third place with star sprinter Theo Bos and that was far below expectations for the Dutchmen.

The Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM ended the Tour of Turkey with a sixth place today in Istanbul. Theo Bos led the sprint train to the line but was unable to do much about Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), winner of today's stage and three other stages. Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) won the overall.

"The lead out was good but I lost the wheel of Graeme Brown in the last kilometre," Bos said. “I’m disappointed, for sure. I expected to win in Turkey.”

Sports Director Michiel Elijzen explained: 

"What can I say? I'm happy with how the training is going but that's not a result. That's not what we came for, to be the best sprint train. The way we worked and did the lead out was good but there's no prize for the best train."

The 121-kilometre stage ended with eight laps in the country's largest city. Bos relied on the entire green and black team to fight for the stage, which he won already two years ago.

"Barry Markus is always helping in the lead-outs. He's doing a perfect job," added Elijzen. "He's good at doing that. He's a sprinter himself."

The team started with the plan to win a stage in Turkey. Over the eight days, however, Mark Cavendish and Elia Viviani ruled. The best place Elijzen's men were able to take was third in stage one with Theo Bos.

"It's not easy when you have Cavendish, sure. I know that even if Theo was super it would be hard to win," added Elijzen. "But when you come to Turkey you come for a win, or at least try to be close. Third place over the eight days was not great."

Bos travels to the World Ports Classic and the Baloise Belgium Tour from Turkey. Even with the Turkey disappointment, Elijzen hopes that Belkin's sprint training camp and the eight days in Turkey will pay off.

"The train is good, the riders are in shape but the link between the train and Theo making a result is missing. He'll be motivated to do well in the next races after these results."