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Ben Turner was delighted to be again on the enterprise finish of racing at Gent-Wevelgem, the place he went on the assault and confirmed indicators of the 2022 type that made him considered one of Ineos Grenadiers’ leaders for the cobbled Classics.
“Yeah I used to be good, it was good to be in entrance of a race once more. It has been some time…” Turner advised Cyclingnews and GCN past the end line in Wevelgem after making the entrance group that chased after Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) after which ending twenty fifth.
The 24-year-old Yorkshireman had a stop-start 2023 season the place crashes and accidents derailed his progress and outcomes. He broke his elbow at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after which his radius on the Tour of Flanders, caught up within the mass crash that worn out a part of the peloton.
His run of unhealthy luck and harm got here after a robust begin to 2023 along with his first, and to this present day nonetheless solely, skilled win on the Vuelta a Murcia.
However extra accidents adopted on the Criterium du Dauphiné and his debut on the Tour de France, that means 2023 was ruined by crashes and setbacks.
“I had two damaged arms and a really unhealthy knee from two large crashes final spring, so I knew I could not present something,” Turner defined of his 2023 season.
“Additionally final 12 months I had a tricky time with crashes and it was actually unhealthy, so it was laborious to get going.”
Turner was again to his finest at Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem, the one Ineos Grenadiers rider that made it into the entrance echelon of favourites when the race exploded within the wind with 150 km to go.
Jhonatan Narváez and Connor Swift crashed out earlier and veteran street captain Luke Rowe was absent after crashing early throughout Friday’s E3 Saxo Basic.
“Everybody knew the place it was gonna cut up in De Moeren. I managed to nail that time very well after which I used to be in that entrance group echelon. I used to be feeling fairly good,” Turner defined.
“Then it got here again collectively and went on that first time in Kemmel. I wasn’t in one of the best place to go but additionally I do not assume I’d have gone with them guys [Mathieu Van der Poel and Mads Pedersen]. I had a little bit of a nasty second on that lap.”
Because the lead group and victory performed out up the street, Turner had a second wind and located the power to assault with simply over 40km to go after wanting very robust on the second climb of the Kemmelberg.
He was joined by Hugo Web page (Intermarché-Wanty), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), who bridged throughout, and Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) after the Kiwi was dropped by Pedersen and van der Poel on the ultimate climb and so they rapidly had an honest hole on the fragmented chase.
“After the second time on the Kemmel, I knew the legs have been nonetheless fairly robust, so I made a decision to have a go,” Turner mentioned.
The cost within the peloton from Soudal-Fast Step and Visma-Lease a Bike ultimately proved an excessive amount of for the escapees inside the ultimate 15km.
“It was an excellent transfer. I believe it may have been a unique story with perhaps one other man.”
Turner can now look optimistically to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He’ll maybe be Ineos Grenadiers’ protected rider as they search for their first WorldTour win of 2024. Filippo Ganna has already ended his Basic marketing campaign, whereas Tom Pidcock is specializing in the Ardennes Classics.
“We’re beginning to construct once more in a great way. I had an excellent Paris-Good. Sadly, I used to be sick final week so E3 wasn’t nice however in the present day was an excellent step ahead in the fitting path,” Turner mentioned.
“100%,” Turner mentioned when requested if his type will enhance.
“The massive aim is Paris-Roubaix. So nonetheless some races to fine-tune a bit however the legs have been robust and that is an excellent signal for what’s to come back.”
Turner will likely be joined by fellow Brit Josh Tarling for the remaining Belgian cobbled Classics – Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“Josh is a giant robust boy so hopefully fairly good,” Turner mentioned of what to anticipate of the 19-year-old.
“We additionally had unhealthy luck, Jhonny [Narvaes] and Connor [Swift] crashed so that might have performed an enormous half as effectively. We’re an excellent group, that is for certain.”
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