With team sprinter Michael Kolar out of contention due to stomach issues, Tinkoff-Saxo had to settle for less on stage 7 in Tour of Turkey. However, team DS Nicki Sørensen expects a swift recovery for Kolar, who is to play a main role on the final, technical run-in towards the finish line in Istanbul, on Sunday afternoon.
 
Stage 7 to Izmir was decided in a bunch sprint finish, where Mark Cavendish took yet another win. Best Tinkoff-Saxo rider was Daniele Bennati, who finished 16th, while the team’s front man in the general classification Jay McCarthy retained his 4th place overall.
 
“Today, Michael Kolar still suffered from his stomach problems, which started yesterday. It’s of course not ideal and he wasn’t able to participate in the stage finale. However, Michael finished the stage and is still in contention tomorrow. So mainly Bennati but also McCarthy took part in the final sprint, but we didn’t get a noteworthy result”, says Tinkoff-Saxo’s sports director Nicki Sørensen after the stage.
 
Despite two significant lumps on the profile of stage 7, the day ended in a fast bunch sprint, where Mark Cavendish (Etixx – Quickstep) beat his rivals on the line after 165km of racing. On the eve of the race conclusion, Nicki Sørensen expects Michael Kolar to be ready for action on the final stage into Istanbul.
 
“It’s the last stage tomorrow and it’s going to be another quick stage, where the sprinters will come to the fore. However, unlike the previous fast finales of Tour of Turkey, tomorrow’s stage features a very technical and hectic finish with twists and turns right up until the finish line. I expect that Kolar is ready and back on top, his form is great, his motivation is high and the team is ready to support him”, concludes Nicki Sørensen.