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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Gavin Quinn

Ireland's Sam Bennett loses overall lead in Tour of Turkey ahead of final day

Ireland's Sam Bennett has lost his overall lead at the top of the Tour of Turkey after failing to finish in the top three for the first time this week.

The Carrick-on-Suir rider is now out of the general classification race, with his Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Felix Grosschartner rising to the top after victory in today's hilly stage.

A snowstorm wreaked havoc on today's stage, with a gruelling 16 km ascent shortened to just 12 km - but that climb was enough for Grosschartner to claim the leader's jersey.

The 2019 Rás Tailteann cancelled as organisers fail to secure sponsor for eight-day tour 

An explosive sprinter, Bennett will be more comfortable in tomorrow's final stage - a ride in to Istanbul - and could yet finish with a flourish as he looks to secure the sprinters classification jersey.

Bennett has dominated the six-day tour as he prepares for the cycling season to kick into gear - claiming two stage victories and two podium places this week.

Bennett isn't expected to be brought to the Giro d'Italia next month by his team, he's instead is expected to feature in the Vuelta a Espana later this year - despite recording three stage victories in last year's Giro. 

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