Nairo Quintana overcame the third stage of the Turkish Tour and sets his sights on the high mountains

The two crashes that Nairo Quintana suffered in the second stage of the Turkish Tour were of concern to fans. The Colombian cyclist suffered a first incident with 37 kilometers to go, when he left the road and fell into a bushwood. And then, in the final leg of the day, he went to the ground in the middle of a tangle in the squad.

The second mishap produced several lacerations on the left side of his body, so after crossing the finish line, he lost 1 minute and 44 seconds to the main group of runners. Although there was some speculation that the boyacense could leave the competition, he sent a piece of peace of mind through his social networks:

“My people thank you very much for all your messages of support, I am on the stretcher doing massages. I'm fine, it was a pretty hard fall. But we continue to move forward, we are still in the race and we will continue with the goals set,” said Quintana while they were massaging one of her legs.

This Tuesday, stage 3 of the Turkish Tour was held over 117.9 kilometers between the towns of Çeşme and Izmir. Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) took the victory in a new definition and also established himself as the new leader of the overall standings. Australia's Kaden Groves (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Spaniard Miguel Fernández (Global 6 Cycling) finished second and third, respectively.

This day, as well as the two previous ones that have been contested, presented a route prone to sprinters, since, apart from a single fourth-category port, the remaining route was flat. The peloton remained compact, preventing cuts due to the wind.

The expectation was set on the physical condition of Nairo Quintana, one of the most striking names in this edition of the Turkish competition. Regardless of the injuries, the Colombian was able to stay in the leading group of the race and was protected by his other teammates, including his brother Dayer, who also fell on Monday's stage.

Nairo rose two positions in the general standings, so that he now stands 78th two minutes and six seconds from the lead. The Colombian fellow, Brandon Rojas (Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli), remains the best national cyclist of the race, ranking in the 68 to 1:05 ″ box.

The sights are now set on the fourth stage, which will be held this Wednesday between Izmir and Manisa (146.2 km). The profile is ideal for climbers, as it will have a finish in a first-class port: 14.2 km at 7.0% average inclination. In the final stretch of the climb, cyclists will face ramps that exceed 11%.

“On the way to tomorrow with the grand stage of the Vuelta a Turkey we will do everything to ensure that Nairo and Nicolas (Edet) are in the best possible positions before the 15 kilometers climb,” said Yvon Ledanois, the Arkea-Samsic sports director.

1. Jasper Philipsen (Belgium/Alpecin-Phoenix) — 2:35:19 ″

2. Kaden Groves (Australia/Team BikeExchange – Jayco) - m.t.

3. Miguel Ángel Fernández (Spain/Global 6 Cycling) - m.t.

4. Daniel McLay (UK/Arkéa Samsic) - m.t.

5. Alberto Dainese (Italia/Team DSM) - m.t.

77. Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Arkéa Samsic) - m.t.

92. Jhojan Garcia (Colombia/Caja Rural — Insurance) - m.t.

105. Dayer Quintana (Colombia/Arkéa Samsic) - et al.

138. Brandon Rojas (Colombia/Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli) - m.t.

1. Jasper Philipsen (Belgium/Alpecin-Phoenix) — 11:15:23 ″

2. Kaden Groves (Australia/Team BikeExchange – Jayco) - 0:02″

3. Caleb Ewan (Australia/Lotto Soudal) - 0:12″

4. Miguel Angel Fernández (Spain/Global 6 Cycling) - 0:18 ″

5. Scott McGill (USA/Wildlife Generation) — 0:19 ″

68. Brandon Rojas (Colombia/Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli) - 1:05 ″

78. Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Arkéa Samsic) - 2:06 ″

88. Jhojan Garcia (Colombia/Caja Rural — Insurance) - 3:09 ″

92. Dayer Quintana (Colombia/Arkea Samsic) - 4:07 ″

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