"I hope everyone is okay... You never want to see that" – Ben Turner struggles to celebrate first World Tour win after Tour de Pologne crash

Ben Turner (INEOS Grenadiers) took the biggest victory of his career on Stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne — but celebrations were understandably muted after a major crash forced a neutralisation in the final part of the stage.

The 26-year-old Brit powered to the line ahead of Pello Bilbao and Andrea Bagioli in a reduced sprint, expertly led out by teammate Michal Kwiatkowski. It marked Turner’s first-ever World Tour win, and a moment of personal triumph. Yet, the circumstances surrounding the finale left a shadow over the result.

“It was a nervous day, the course was tough, and everyone wanted to stay at the front,” said Turner in comments released after the finish. “Unfortunately, there was a crash, and I hope everyone is okay. You never want to see that. After the neutralisation, we had a plan, executed it perfectly, and I’m glad I could finish it off with a win.”

The crash in question occurred on a fast, technical descent with just over 20 kilometres to go, involving several riders including race leader Paul Lapeira, Rafal Majka, and Mathias Vacek. With ambulances dispatched to hospital, race organisers made the call to neutralise the general classification, allowing the stage to be contested only for the win once racing resumed. Turner’s INEOS Grenadiers team then capitalised following the reset, keeping control of the peloton into the final kilometres before delivering the British rider to a clean, clinical sprint victory. Despite the chaos, the team executed their strategy flawlessly — a testament to both experience and composure.

Pello Bilbao, who finished second for Bahrain Victorious, echoed the strange mood that hung over the finale. “It was a strange situation – everyone lost focus,” he said. “At that point, everything was going well for us with Jack Haig and Antonio Tiberi in front. Then the crash happened, Jack was involved too, and the decision to neutralise was made. In the finale, I gave it everything and finished second, which is still a good result.”

Turner’s breakthrough win is another sign of his continued growth as a rider capable of more than just domestique duties. After several seasons of hard work in support of others, Stage 3 marked a moment where the spotlight was firmly his — even if it came amid challenging circumstances. “It’s a strange way to win,” Turner admitted. “But we did what we came to do, and I’m proud of how we finished it off.”

With several riders still recovering from the crash — including Lapeira, Majka, and Vacek, who was forced to abandon — the peloton now looks ahead to Stage 4 with hopes of calmer racing and fewer casualties.