Belgium’s Iljo Keisse crashed in the last turn and his chain snapped but the Omega Pharma Quick Step rider still kept enough cool and energy to hold the bunch at bay and win the 7th stage on his own in Izmir.
The Six Day Race specialist was part of a seven-man break gone almost on the gun and he wrong-footed his former companions with five kilometres left to go on his own. His lead was such that he looked set for an easy win when hard luck struck and he hit the tarmac. But he had enough time left in his hands to fix the chain and speed to a bizarre but deserved victory.Behind him, the greatest sprinters in the peloton were left to battle it out for second place. Marcel Kittel (ARG) was fastest ahead of Alessandra Petacchi (LAM) and Andrea Guardini (FAR), but the German had to be content with the runner-up spot.
The penultimate stage started without Cameron Meyer (GEC), Luke Roberts (SAX) and Geoffroy Lequatre (BSC).
The first man in action after the start in Kusadasi was Six Day race specialist Iljo Keisse (OPQ). The Belgian was rapidly joined by six other riders: Andrey Zeits (AST), Mikhail Ignatyev (KAT), Damien Gaudin (EUC), Jerome Cousin (EUC), Laurent Pichon (BSC) and Marek Cenecky (SLC). A group of four momentarily tried to chase and they included the tireless race leader Ivailo Gabrovski, who retained his Turquoise with one day to go before the finale in Istanbul.
Pichon beat Keisse and Ignatyev for the Turkish Beauty sprint of the day (km 9.8) and after 14 kilometres, the lead of the seven had reached the minute. The peloton looked content to let the breaking group go and the gap reached a maximum of 3:16 at kilometre 45. Zeits being the best placed of the escapees, 3:46 behind Gabrovski, the pack then reacted to maintain a stable gap of around 2:30 for the next 50 kilometres.
Thirty five kms from the line, a crash in the peloton could have had serious consequences on the outcome of the stage since Kittel and Daniele Colli (TT1), were among the riders involved and were forced to chase hard to regain their place in the pack. While Ignatyev and Keisse each won an intermediate sprint, it seemed as though the final one would be unavoidable as the gap kept going down and was inside the minute as the race entered Izmir with 10 kms to go.
With the last bend to go, Keisse was out in front when his chain went.He got back up, fixed his bike and then managed to hold off a speeding peloton to win by three bike lengths.