Tour of Turkey 2015, Stage 6: Bilbao takes stage, Durasek, race lead

by Steve Thomas

Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) won the sixth stage of the Tour of Turkey in Selçuk. Kristijan Durasek (Lampre-Merida), who finished second to Davide Rebellin on Stage 3, took the race lead from the CCC Sprandi Polkowice rider.

Last year it was Cofidis comeback rider Rein Taaramäe who held the race lead going into the final climb, and few even dared to think he would be stripped of that prized jersey in the final 2-km of the stage, yet he was. That time around it was neo-pro Adam Yates of Orica-GreenEdge who made a brave and defiant bid to claw back the handful of seconds he needed to snatch the race lead, and he just about clung on to take both the stage victory and the overall title. Not far behind him was Davide Rebellin of CCC. It was a close call. Throw in another 500 m and he would possibly have taken the stage, maybe even the GC. Roles have been reversed this year and Rebellin went into the final stage with seven seconds, but he couldn’t hold of Durasek.

In the closing stages of the race, the pressure went on and the field was shredded on the final climb, leaving Bilbao to take the stage ahead of Astana’s Miguel Angel Lopez and Heiner Rodrigo Parra, also of Caja Rural.

Meanwhile Orica-GreenEdge rider Christian Meier nursed a few cuts and bruises through the stage. “It’s nothing much,” he said. “I came down with 500 m to go yesterday when another rider went over my wheel. We watched today’s stage from last year on video, and figured that a break could get away, and hoped to get Cam Meyer in there.” But it didn’t quite work out. The OGE team is still hunting for a stage victory, which would be a small reward after winning the GC last year.

2015 Tour of Turkey, Stage 6 Top Three

1. Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
2. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana)
3. Heiner Rodrigo Parra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)