In a thrilling stage of the Tour of Turkey, Jay Vine from UAE Team Emirates pulled off a nail-biting solo victory, narrowly holding off the charging peloton. This intense battle took place during stage 7, which spanned 159.8 kilometers from Selcuk to Izmir.

Vine, an Australian racer, made his move on the second steeper part of a Category 2 climb. He surged ahead, crossed the summit alone, and then managed to maintain his lead during a fast and technical finish. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck led the remnants of the peloton across the finish line, while Cees Bol from Astana Qazaqstan secured third place. Following Vine’s remarkable individual effort, the overall lead remains with Alexey Lutsenko of Astana Qazaqstan, and there’s just one flat stage left to conclude the eight-day Tour of Turkey.

Jay with a solo victory at Tour of Turkey

Reflecting on his impressive win, Vine commented, “It was all on the stage win. I could have got the KoM points a little easier instead of going all out into the climb. We hoped that the climb would see a lot of the helpers dropped and no one would be able to pull on the lead through town.”

A deep sense of determination fueled vine’s victory, especially after he faced misfortune on a critical stage 3, which ended on the challenging Babadag climb. He channeled his motivation to go solo, saying, “This is a consolation prize, and it’s good to be able to show my form and get a win somehow. I’m glad I could give the team that.”

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The stage began with a fast and furious segment. Astana Qazaqstan and Alpecin-Deceuninck working tirelessly to control numerous breakaway attempts. However, Vine saw a different story unfolding. He seized the opportunity to claim maximum KoM points on an early Category 2 climb and used the tougher part of the second Category 2 climb to break away once again.

Vine’s pursuit of his first win since the Tour Down Under gained momentum. He crested the summit with a substantial lead. 

The intensity of the race

The peloton was nearly two minutes behind, and he maintained his advantage while descending the technical, poorly surfaced road. As the race neared its end, Vine’s lead was reduced to a pure time trial battle against the peloton. His reputation as the 2023 Australian Time Trial Champion, with a knack for lone efforts, came into play. In the final kilometers, the peloton gradually reeled in the chasers, and Vine’s lead dwindled to just over 10 seconds.

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In the heart-pounding ultimate moments, a crash at a tight turn disrupted the chase, but Vine’s margin was still sufficient. With sheer determination, he held on to secure a well-deserved victory, capping a week filled with ups and downs.

Watch this story: At 104 Chicagos Fearless Dorothy Hoffner Skydives Into the Record Books Then Gracefully Exits the Stage