Second stage, second place in the sprint for Lonardi at the Tour of Turkey

When the sprint gets tough, the tough start sprinting. Giovanni Lonardi claimed second place on the second raceday of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, in a fast but slightly uphill finish. Team Polti VisitMalta helped keep the five breakaway riders under control (caught with 56 km to go) and contributed to a key selection, with Pablo Garcia supporting the pace set by Tietema Rockets and the rest of the squad protecting the leaders in the peloton.
In the finale, the 28-year-old sprinter followed De Buyst’s (Lotto) wheel, overtook him brilliantly and was only beaten by Del Grosso (Alpecin).

Lonardi: “It’s always tricky to read this finish. This time I found a good position and came very close — Del Grosso came through at the last moment with great legs. I’ll definitely try again tomorrow, on the same stage I won last year…”

Sports Director Giovanni Ellena: “In these cases, you feel both happy and a bit disappointed. We are pleased with the team’s cohesion, with how we’re handling the short climbs and with having secured a strong result — having a rider in second place both in the general and points classification. But there’s also a touch of regret for the missed victory, which only makes us even more motivated for the days ahead!”