Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) got a significant confidence boost for the Giro d’Italia by claiming his first win of the season in today’s fourth stage of the Tour of Turkey. After an excellent lead-out from Roberto Ferrari, the Italian jumped from wheel to wheel before launching his sprint perfectly, easily holding off Daniele Colli (Nippo-Vini Fantini) and Marco Zanotti (Parkhotel Valkenburg). Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural) retained the lead.

We have gathered several reactions.

Sacha Modolo ready for the Giro: I really needed this win

As it already happened in 2015, Sacha Modolo chose the Tour of Turkey as the place to obtain the first seasonal victory.

Modolo and Ferrari had a winning feeling which allowed the winner of two stages of the Giro d’Italia to be in a very good position at 350m to go. Modolo was later skilfull in following Belletti when the rider from Southeast-Venezuela started his progression in the middle of the road.

Modolo succeeded in staying close to Belletti and he launched his sprint with 100m to go, overtaking the opponent and obtaining the 41st victory in his career, the 3rd for the blue-fuchsia-green team in 2016.

Sports director Vicino explained how Modolo obtained the victory: “After yesterday’s disappointing stage, we reset our mind and we reached today’s start with a high morale and a strong will to deliver a good performance.
 

”We paid huge attention in the first part of the stage, which was characterized by three climbs: Niemiec won the first KOM sprint and Koshevoy the second one.
 

”After this first awkward early part of the course, six riders escaped from the bunch, however their action was easily controlled and we could focus our energies on supporting Modolo in approaching the sprint in the best possible way.
 

”Ferrari and Sacha had a very good feeling, this is a perfect feedback in view of the Giro d’Italia.”

"Today's win took a bit of slyness, because we left it late,” Modolo said. “We all thought Lotto would come through, but they didn't. With 700m to go, we almost stopped. One fromZanotti's team went through, and I got onto his wheel. At 400m he stopped, and I thought it was all over, then Belletti went, and took two bike lengths, then I got back to him, and sprinted. It was non-linear, chaotic. It was very nervous, after yesterday, which was a horrible stage.
 

"I needed a win. I thought I was very strong this year. I couldn't win in Dubai: I got a 4th and 5th, and a 2nd, 4th, behind Viviani. At Qatar, I was beaten by Cavendish. At Tirreno, I was always in the top 10. At Sanremo, I thought I'd do OK, but I fell on the Poggio. In the northern classics, I was strong but I didn't get a win. Then I came here and fell on stage 1. My morale wasn't the best. My knee hurt, especially on St 2. Yesterday it felt better, but I was angry with myself because someone like me shouldn't be getting dropped in echelons. I made the second group, and I was a bit annoyed. I needed a win, especially now, because I have been preparing for the Giro. Today, tomorrow, the penultimate stage, then the Giro to do well. 
 

"Maybe Italian cycling lacks a strong northern classics specialist, perhaps someone is coming through. In modern cycling, 21 or 22 years old, if you haven't won, you are no one. In my day, you got your best results aged 27. Before that, you had to do jobs that don't even exist today. For me, a lot of people complain, we have no great champion, but we are always there or thereabouts. As sprinters, we are the best, in my opinion. Viviani is among the best, there's Nizzolo, too, and I consider myself one of the best, but unlike other foreign sprinters, no one invests in a train for us. At a race like the Giro, if someone gives me a train, I'll win. We need to invest in it. 
 

"At the Worlds it'll be difficult: it'll be a fight to be the designated sprinter because we are all at the same level. I haven't spoken to [national selector] Davide Cassani, I don't know what plans he has. Last year, by the end of the Giro, I made the mistake of having too many days of competition in my legs. This year I'm trying to balance the season better."

Daniele Colli: Maybe there was a way to beat Modolo

When the 4th stage of the Tour of Turkey comes, it is time for the podium for Daniele Colli. Like in 2015, when he arrived in the second place behind Greipel, he finished second in the sprint

For NIPPO Vini Fantini team, it was good job of Eduard Grosu and Riccardo Stacchiotti to position Colli in the first positions and then it was all up to his experience to get such an important result.

“I’m satisfied, but with some regrets for the missed victory. From this morning I was feeling good and with Mario Manzoni we decided to try this sprint. The team worked very well for me to give me the chance to be there in the final part. Now I’m looking forward to Saturday stage’s with the Marmaris finish where I reached the podium last year. It won’t be easy, but we will try it.

 “It was a hard stage because the rhythm was high from the flag. In the finale, Greipel and Modolo were the riders to watch for the sprint. With 2.5km to go, my team-mates Stacchiotti and Grosu did an excellent work taking me to the front. At the end, maybe there was a way for me to beat Modolo. I came back to him but I couldn’t do more. I was at the maximum of my possibilities.”

Continental sprinter takes second podium place in Turkey

Third placed Marco Zanotti (Parkhotel Valkenburg) said: “It’s nice to be part of a fully Italian podium. My team has helped me all day. Sven [Van Luijk] was in the breakaway and the others protected me before they put me in the best position for sprinting. Even though I don’t often win races, they trust me. There are great sprinters here. It’s not easy to beat them. But every day we try and maybe one day they’ll make a mistake so we’ll take the top price.”

Pello Bilbao: Our goal is to keep status quo until the queen stage

Caja Rural - Seguros RGA and the rest of the peloton had a relatively quiet day in Tour of Turkey today. After a difficult start, a break got away and the team could concentrate on keeping race leader Pello Bilbao safe and recovering from the previous hard stages.
 
As expected, Wednesday’s stage came down to a bunch sprint in Alanya. Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) took the win, while Lluis Mas crossed the line in 11th place as best Caja Rural - Seguros RGA of the day. Since there were no changes to the top positions in the general classification, Bilbao keeps his overall lead in Tour of Turkey in front of his two teammates José Gonçalves and David Arroyo.
 
Sports director Eugenio Goikoetxea said: "The first part of today’s stage was very hard with two climbs, which left only 45 riders in the front group. All our seven riders made the cut. After this, it calmed down a bit as the break went clear. For the remaining part of the stage, the team helped control the gap so it could end in a sprint. We kept the leader’s jersey and now, we have to continue our day-by-day approach. There are still four stages left, starting with 180 km alongside the coast tomorrow. We will have to be very alert".

Bilbao added:

”Today was easier than yesterday. The start was really fast, we tried to control it and not to form two big groups. We worked together with Lotto, because they wanted the same as us, and I think we did a good job and, afterwards, in the last km, we were at the front of the ghroup in order not to put ourselves at risk, and it was a great day for us. We are in the same place as yesterday, which is our goal. Until the 6th stage, we want to maintain the situation, and then we'll see.
 

”As for Niemiec, I think he has forgotten about the GC overall and now he has other goals. It think he was trying to get into the break or get the mountain points. I think it's nothing personal, he has no reason to look for revenge.”

Lluís Mas (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) said: 

“This morning everyone thought the breakaway could work out. For us, it was fine to let Lampre-Merida and CCC go away but I think they have had a fight between them so their attempt in the first climbs was unsuccessful. It was also good for us because with six different riders in the lead after the climbs, Lotto-Soudal controlled the race for a bunch sprint but I believe at the end they have paid for their efforts yesterday and that’s very understandable.”

Di Gregorio fears Niemiec and Koshevoy in battle for KOM points in Turkey

KOM leader Rémy Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence KTM) said: “Past the first climb, we rode away from the peloton, the three of us: Niemiec, Koshevoy and myself. We went flat out on the flattish section between the two climbs but CCC wasn’t happy with that and they chased us down. It’s been a nice battle for the KOM points. My team has worked well. I’m still in the lead but now I have two rivals from the same team. It won’t be easy to keep the jersey.”

Polish climber on the attack in Turkish sprint stage

VERVA Activejet’s Paweł Cieślik gave a display of aggressive racing, animating the stage with a late breakaway.

The Breakaway didn’t crystallize immediately and as a result, the first part of  the stage saw many changes at the front of the bunch. Michał Podlaski and Paweł Cieślik were tasked with covering the moves for VERVA Activejet and succeeded as the climber from Poznań found himself up the road with five riders.

“It took very long for a breakaway group to form. I managed to get myself up in the successful move but we didn’t get much of an advantage. Riders were not contributing, so 2-3 minutes was all we had. On the flat section we all stepped up a bit but it was still not enough. I decided to attack to reduce the group,” Cieślik explained.

The Polish climber and his two companions tried to fence off the charges from the bunch, yet 1:10 advantage with 15 kilometres remaining was not enough to secure a stage victory.

“I paid for my attack in the end because I wasn’t able to follow when one of the riders launched his attack. That’s too bad but realistically we didn’t have any chance of making it today,” he concluded.

Cieślik was brought back inside final 10 km and a bunch sprint decided the stage winner. Cieślik crossed the line in 26th place.