Tinkoff-Saxo delivered a team performance on stage 6 of Tour of Turkey in order to set up GC-captain Jay McCarthy ahead of the final 4km uphill finish. However, after an early attack, McCarthy had to see the stage slip away. The 22-year old finished 10th behind stage winner Pello Bilbao and retains his 4th place in the GC.
 
Following the stage finish atop the climb to Selçuk, Tinkoff-Saxo sports director Nicki Sørensen tells that the team had put in a dedicated effort during the course of the race.

“The guys rode for Jay McCarthy as we had planned. They took to the front early on the stage and stayed there for the duration of the day until Jay was delivered at the front on the final climb. Overall, he did well in the finale, but if we are to go into details, he could have kept his cool and waited a little longer. But when your team has been putting in the work at the front throughout the day, the desire to deliver is great. He rode to win, and although he didn’t succeed, I’m satisfied with his and the team's performance”, says Nicki Sørensen.

Stage 6 from Denizli to Selçuk presented the riders with 184km – the longest of this year’s edition of Tour of Turkey. The stage left the fireworks for the final climb, where the race saw attacks from the front, while the heavier riders got dropped at the back of the bunch. Ultimately, it was Caja Rural’s Pello Bilbao, who proved the strongest on the day, while Davide Rebellin had to hand over the race lead to Kristijan Durasek (Lampre-Merida). Jay McCarthy finished 10th, 34 seconds off the winner.
 
Nicki Sørensen notes that Tinkoff-Saxo will continue to try and cash in the good shape of the team’s riders in exchange for a stage win. However, stomach issues for team sprinter Michael Kolar on the stage might throw a spanner in the works.
 
“We continue to show great legs, and I still remember the effort from stage 5, which in my opinion was world class. However, Michael Kolar was suffering today from stomach problems, which might pose an issue on the last stages. We need to see how Michael is tomorrow, but the last two stages definitely suit him, so we hope that he will be ready. Otherwise, guys like Bennati and Jay will get the reins in the sprint tomorrow, while Pavel Brutt will continue to work hard in an attempt to hit the right breakaway”, finishes Nicki Sørensen.