Team Novo Nordisk Wraps Up Another Tour of Turkey

Stage 8 of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey was the shortest of the race, taking the weary peloton from Çeşme to İzmir over 105 kilometers. With its short and flat profile, a small breakaway was allowed up the road but never gained more than over a minute’s advantage.

With limited opportunities for the sprinters throughout the week, the teams with fast finishers took control, ensuring a bunch sprint to close out the race. Andrea Peron, who had already secured a top-ten finish earlier in the tour, was the first Team Novo Nordisk rider across the line, finishing 32nd.

Andrea Peron:
“I’ve been feeling really good the last few days. Today, I tried to stay up there without taking too many risks, but it was tough. We’ve had three fairly big crashes over the last few days, so it hasn’t been ideal -half the team is carrying injuries. I did what I could in the final and I’m just happy to have finished safely. There are definitely positives we can take from this race, and also areas we can build on as we head into the next block of racing.”

Vassili Davidenko (General Manager):
“We came to Turkey with a mix of youth and experience, and this race gave us a little bit of everything – good results, bad luck, illness, crashes, even a cancelled stage due to weather. That’s stage racing. We take home a couple of top-tens and breakaway efforts. Most importantly, we had the chance to meet children living with type 1 diabetes in Turkey. They asked thoughtful questions and our riders had the opportunity to inspire them before Stage 4. This event is always well-organized, and we’re already looking forward to coming back next year.”