Tomáš Přidal delivered a masterclass on the slopes of Ayvagediği, soloing to victory on the Queen Stage of the Tour of Mersin and strengthening his grip on the general classification.
The third stage of the Tour of Mersin on April 11, 2026, was a brutal 100 km test from Tarsus to Ayvagediği, featuring a staggering 3278 vertical meters. The peloton faced cold temperatures and light rain midway through the route, making the technical descent around the 60 km mark particularly treacherous with its narrow, gravel-strewn corners. While the team initially hoped to get Michal Schuran into a breakaway for the mountain classification, the field kept a tight leash on all attempts. Following a high-tempo lead-in by Nikiforos on the penultimate climb, Tomáš attacked in the final meters to win by 12 seconds over Serdar Anıl Depe (Spor Toto Cycling Team).
The victory took Tomáš to the top of general classification, where he has a 3 second lead.
Tomas’s take on the queen stage
We expected that today would suit me, but everything could have gone sideways, of course. First of all, I’m happy that everyone finished safely because we had some very dangerous downhills on the course.
I felt supported by the team throughout the day, so I was able to save energy in the first 60 km. Then we hit the most dangerous downhill, with a climb following immediately after. Niki set a high tempo uphill so that I could attack later. After this, only six riders were left at the front, but the cooperation wasn’t the best, so the group grew to 15-20 riders by the top.
After that, there was another dangerous downhill leading straight into the final climb. I set my own tempo and did most of the pulling on that climb until only three of us were left for the last kilometer, which averaged 15% in steepness. At that point, I just went full gas. Fortunately, it was enough, and now I’m really happy: even though this is ‘only’ Mersin without the really strong competition from Europe. Tomorrow should be a stage for the sprinters, but we still have to be careful. I trust that we’ll hold onto the GC and that Niki can sprint for the win at the end.
Veljko’s reflections on the team effort
The team is working perfectly: we all do our best in order to contribute to the wins, which I am really proud of. I feel better every day since the first races in Greece where I was sick. I still need to lose some weight and gain some watts, and then I can be competitive again.
I don’t mind working for others, especially knowing that they can win the race. I enjoy that.
It is my third time doing this race, so I am quite used to it. It differs a bit in the fitness levels between the riders: here we have fewer top-tier teams, but there are always some strong individuals who make racing more exciting.
The roads are not the greatest, but I don’t mind that either. Every country I race in has something good and bad, and you have to adapt to it. That’s what I find exciting and challenging in this sport. The organization is quite good in my opinion: they have improved a lot over the years, as I’ve been coming back to race in Turkey for quite a long time now.
Photo: Ozan Yavuz / https://www.instagram.com/ozanyavuzphoto/
