Strong start for Team Novo Nordisk in a very windy Stage one at Tour of Antalya

Robbe Ceurens (BEL)

“Stage one was hectic because of the strong wind. You could feel the bunch was quite nervous.”

“I really wanted to try being into the final sprint. I managed to be in a good position in the last kilometres. Then the crash happened, and I lost my chance.”

“It’s only day one though. It’s great to be here and kick off my first season as a Pro in Turkey, I feel very good and I’m ready to try again tomorrow.”

Nathan Smith (ENG)

“My first race as a stagiaire was a good one. Despite the heavy wind, the stage was steady until the climb where the sprinter teams started to fight for position at the front.“

“It feels good to be racing with the pro guys. I appreciate the advice and feedback that I received from them during and after the race, and I look forward to tomorrow’s stage.“

Sport Director, Vassili Davidenko (RUS)

“Tour of Antalya is a tough race to start the season with. Today we had strong wind all the way which made the stage more challenging for everyone.“

“We expected a fast finale and wanted Robbe to stay upfront to fight in it. He was well-positioned and ready to go but lost his chance due to the bad crash at only one km from the finish line. Still, it was a great performance considering this is also his first race as Pro rider!“

“Our guys came here with the right motivation and strong winter preparation, and they all came through this first stage as we planned. We have everything needed to achieve good results this season, and we’re going for those to show what’s possible with diabetes.“