A dominant lead-out train, an impressive last kilometer, and a strong sprint by Andre Greipel result in the first podium for Israel Start-Up Nation in Turkey.
The second stage featured the same final as the opening stage, meaning the Israel Start-Up Nation riders adjusted their tactics based on their experiences from yesterday.
Preparation started last night
Together with performance coach Greg Henderson, ISN’s sprint train watched the finale from stage 1 multiple times. The former professional cyclist, who did countless mass sprint-lead-outs himself, shared his vision with the riders.
That night they decided to wait a little longer with Matthias Brändle’s last pull in the final kilometers, in order for Rick Zabel to bring Andre Greipel through the last corner, at 300 meters from the finish.
However, ISN was obviously not the only team who adjusted their sprinting tactics, since every single rider knew the course from yesterday.
‘Nearly perfect lead-out’
Therefore, the battle for positions was even harder than yesterday. The final corner was, again, the critical and crucial point in the race. Going through that curve outside of the top-5 positions in the bunch would inevitably mean another lost sprint.
It turned out that ISN did the lead-out nearly perfectly. That’s what Andre Greipel would say after the finish.
The sprint train carried out the tactics exactly, leading the German sprinter into the final 200 meters safely. Greipel ultimately was only passed by two riders, taking third place in stage 2.
“I did what I could”, Greipel said after the finish, before he stepped onto the podium. “The team really did great to support me. They did pretty much everything right.”
“There were just two [riders] faster than me today. However, it is an improvement after yesterday. With the way we work together as a team, I am confident that we can improve in Turkey furthermore.”
