A stage of 124 kilometres with start and finish in Istanbul closed the Tour of Turkey today. Boris Vallée and three companions animated the stage. The peloton kept the gap stable, between one and a half and two minutes. The escapees were all caught with four and a half kilometres to go. Lluis Más could avoid a sprint and won.

Jasper De Buyst was the first Lotto Soudal rider, he finished on the eleventh place today. Adam Hansen is the first man of the team in the overall classification. The Australian is ninth at 2’11” of winner Kristijan Durasek.

Mario Aerts, sports director Lotto Soudal said.

“It was a good Tour of Turkey for the team. With the stage win of André Greipel we achieved our goal. Our riders also set other nice results. Thomas De Gendt claimed the fourth place in the stage with summit finish in Selçuk. Jasper De Buyst got a top ten place in the fifth and seventh stage, he was sixth and eighth respectively. André Greipel was really satisfied with the lead-out work of Jasper. It was the first time they had to work together, it always takes some time before it gets perfect, but it already went well.

“In the overall classification Adam Hansen stands on the ninth place. He was tenth in the queen stage to Elmali. He had some cramps at the end of that stage, otherwise his result could have been even a bit better. Anyway, he’s ready for the Giro.

"All riders in the team were in shape. The first two days Gert Dockx did an amazing job chasing down the leaders and in the third stage he joined Thomas in a break for a while. Kris Boeckmans got better each day. In the stage that Greipel won he did lots of work in the bunch.

"Our riders rode aggressively here. Thomas De Gendt, Sean De Bie and Boris Vallée were all part of a long breakaway this week. Unfortunately none of those made it to the finish.”