Having said in Paris-Nice he had also thought a switch in temperatures didn't impact riders' performance until that race this year, Sam Bennett was hit by the cold in Turkey yesterday.
Bennett went to Paris-Nice last month from UAE Tour; jumping from intense heat to chilly crosswinds.
It took him a couple of days to adjust but when he did he notched up two stage wins. He said afterwards it was the first time he noticed his performance being impacted by the change in temperatures.
And when the temperature dropped on the Tour of Turkey yesterday, Bennett said that may have been why his sprint wasn't quite as good.
He'd won the opening two stages but just lacked a little yesterday when Juan Jose Lobato (Nippo Vini Fantini) kicked early and opened a gap.
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For once Bennett looked around, apparently to see if someone else would close the gap. But Caleb Ewan whipped around him, and Lobato, to win.
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Bennett had to settle for 3rd on the day but retained the race leader's jersey he has held since the opening stage.
“I really didn’t know what to expect today, a lot of guys
were ready for a sprint and it was a tough finale at the end,” he said of the
uphill finish.
“I knew Caleb was sitting on my wheel, but I was already
on the limit,” he added of being flat out before the line.
“I wanted him to go first but when he moved, I was on a
big gear and struggled to follow him.
“Anyway, I think Caleb was the fastest today and I say
congrats. It was pretty cold today, maybe that affected me a little.
“But I will try again to win another stage here in
Turkey,” he added ahead of today’s queen stage.
The race concludes today with a summit finish but there
should be one more chance for the sprinters in Istanbul on Sunday, where he won
last year.
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