Murphy’s law strikes again in Giro d’Italia for unlucky Ben Turner

Ben Turner was considered one of the main favorites for Thursday’s Stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia. The British rider from Netcompany INEOS has not had luck on his side in this race so far, and the latest setback came in the finale with a punctured tire.

After the stage, Turner gave a brief reaction to Cycling Pro Net. "It wasn’t my best day, I must say. I struggled uphill but managed to get over it," admitted the teammate of Thymen Arensman. "The first climb went okay, but after that, it became really tough."

He had hoped to contest a potential sprint. "I was already preparing myself for it. Then, on the fast section toward the finish, I got a flat rear tire. I fell far behind and couldn’t get help from the team cars, which cost me a lot of energy."

In Stage 4, where he ultimately finished fourth, Turner had to drop back to help Egan Bernal. This time, he received some support from teammates. "Jack [Haig] dropped back to help, and Embred [Svestad-Bardseng] brought me forward, but I had nothing left in the legs."

"It was a real fight, but the reward never came," Turner reflected after the stage won by Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious), finishing four minutes behind. "I had no legs, and then there’s little you can do. It was fighting, fighting, fighting, and it probably didn’t look great on TV."

Could he have contested the win without the puncture? "I didn’t have my best legs, but you try to keep the belief alive. And that’s something you always do."