SAUNER DUVAL-SCOTT´s José Alberto Benítez (from Andalusia) climbed to 3rd in the GC today after the third road stage of the Presidential Tour of Turkey (Bodrum-Marmaris, 166.8 kilometres). Five of the twenty riders who escaped yesterday -Gustavo César Veloso and David García (Karpin-Galicia), Pieter Jacobs (Silence-Lotto), Danail Petrov and José De Azevedo (Benfica), and "red bird" José Alberto Benítez (SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT)- did it again today, clearing from the 15-man bunch involved in the breakaway of the day and opening a time gap of over 10 minutes. The bunch included another man in yellow, Juanjo Cobo, who was one of the riders this bunch boiled down to with 40 kilometres to go, also comprising the five riders fighting for a place in the GC plus Grégory Rast (Astana), Luca Zanasca and Miguel Ángel Rubiano Chávez (Partizan), and Matteo Priamo (CSF Group Navigare), who won the race.
With ten kilometres remaining, Veloso, García, Rubiano and Priamo jumped clear and defied Benítez and Jacobs´ chasing efforts. The chasers came in 21" behind the winner. García has become the new overall leader, with teammate Veloso just below at 4", and Benítez and Jacobs at 25". Tomorrow, the fourth road stage in Turkey will be taking riders from Marmaris to Ölüdeniz (Blue Lagoon), covering 177.7 kilometres and featuring one categorised climb seven kilometres before the finish line.
44th PRESIDENTIAL TOUR OF TURKEY Results
Stage 3: 1. Priamo (CSF Group Navigare) 4:05:56; 2. Rubiano (Partizan) s.t.; 3. David García (Karpin-Galicia) s.t; 4. Veloso (Karpin-Galicia) at 0:04; 5. Jacobs (Silence-Lotto) at 0:21; 6. José A. Benítez (SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT) s.t.
General Classification: 1. David García (Karpin-Galicia) 7:37:10.; 2. Veloso (Karpin-Galicia) at 0:04; 3. José A. Benítez (SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT) at 0:25; 4. Jacobs (Silence-Lotto) s.t.; 5. Petrov (Benfica) at 1:12; … 11. Cañada (SDS) at 10:20.
