The third stage of the 2026 Tour of Turkey speaks Colombian. With a solo attack launched 4,500 meters from the finish line, Ivan Ramiro Sosa claimed victory in the Marmaris-Kıran stage, securing his first personal success since October 2022.

Triumphing with 9 seconds over Sebastian Berwick and 15" over Nicolas Breuillard, the South American also took the Turkish leader's jersey, now leading the general classification with 13" over the Australian from Caja Rural Seguros RGA and 21" over the Frenchman from TotalEnergies.

THE RACE

After registering the non-start of Umberto Poli (Team Novo Nordisk), it took 30 kilometers before the day's breakaway took off. It was composed of Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Rudolf Remhki (Muğla Büyükşehir Belediyesi Spor Kulübü) and Mustafa Tekin (Spor Toto Cycling Team) who, after the "Treasures of Turkey" intermediate sprint (won by Mustafa Tarakci), gained an advantage of over two minutes approaching the first-category climb.

Here Remhki broke away, dropping both Rickaert and Tekin and, after cresting the summit first, continued his adventure alone. The peloton, however, steadily controlled by Caja Rural Seguros RGA's men and thinned during the climb, had an easy time controlling his action at a distance and gradually reducing the gap until canceling it 35 km from the finish, shortly after the second intermediate sprint.

Apart from the brief attack by Luca Colnaghi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) at -21 km and the crash of Matteo Regnanti (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at -12 km, the group of favorites proceeded in compact formation until the attack in the final 9 kilometers (averaging 9.7%) of the tough closing climb.

On this final ascent, Sergio Samitier was the first to make a move, attempting a solo sortie after just a few hundred meters. TotalEnergies under Jegat, however, kept good watch and, taking up the pace, kept the Spaniard in check before reabsorbing him at -6.8 km.
Continuing their action, the French team further selected the group of favorites from which, at -4.8 km, first Kamiel Bonneu (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) and then, more effectively, Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) attacked.

The Colombian's counterattack proved incisive as, once he gained a dozen seconds, neither Bonneu nor the duo Nicolas Breuillard-Alessandro Fancellu slightly behind managed to close the gap. Even the last powerful comeback by Sebastian Berwick fell short because Sosa, skillfully widening the gap with his pursuers in the meantime, managed to maintain sufficient margin to complete the job in style, securing a long-awaited victory (his last success had come at the Tour de Langkawi four years earlier) and the new general classification leadership.

No luck for Berwick, a positive Breuillard, and Fancellu who, closing 4th at 26", nonetheless confirmed he is in more than good condition with which, on the second and final uphill finish, he will be able to fight for both the stage victory and a podium place.

STAGE RESULTS

1. Iván Ramiro Sosa (COL/Equipo Kern Pharma) - 3:40:25

2. Sebastian Berwick (AUS/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at 0:09

3. Nicolas Breuillard (FRA/TotalEnergies) at 0:15

4. Alessandro Fancellu (ITA/MBH Bank CSB Telecom-Fort) at 0:26

5. Kamiel Bonneu (BEL/Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at 0:30

6. Nicolas Vinokurov (KAZ/XDS-Astana) at 0:40

7. Matteo Scalco (ITA/XDS-Astana) at 0:53

8. Henok Mulubrhan (ERI/XDS Astana) at 0:53

9. Jordan Jegat (FRA/TotalEnergies) at 0:55

10. Mikel Bizkarra (SPA/Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 0:57

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Iván Ramiro Sosa (COL/Equipo Kern Pharma) - 10:39:44

2. Sebastian Berwick (AUS/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at 0:13

3. Nicolas Breuillard (FRA/TotalEnergies) at 0:21

4. Alessandro Fancellu (ITA/MBH Bank-CSB Telecom-Fort) at 0:36

5. Kamiel Bonneu (BEL/Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at 0:40

6. Nicolas Vinokurov (KAZ/XDS Astana) at 0:50

7. Henok Mulubrhan (ERI/XDS Astana) at 1:03

8. Matteo Scalco (ITA/XDS Astana) at 1:03

9. Jordan Jegat (FRA/TotalEnergies) at 1:05

10. José Félix Parra (SPA/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at 1:07

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Tom Crabbe (BEL/Flanders-Baloise)

Mountain Classification: Iván Ramiro Sosa (COL/Equipo Kern Pharma)

Team Classification: XDS Astana (KAZ)