Doncaster cyclist Ben Turner reflects on 'amazing' win in Vuelta a Espana

After his headline-stealing performance last week, it’s back to the unselfish grind for Ben Turner in the second week of the Vuelta a Espana.

Professional cycling stands still for no one, not even a 26-year-old from Doncaster who for years has built a reputation as a reliable support rider, only to emerge like a bolt from the blue last Tuesday.

TOPSHOT - Ineos Grenadiers British rider Ben Turner celebrates winning the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 192 km race between Susa and Voiron, in the Alps, on August 26, 2025. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)

placeholder image — TOPSHOT - Ineos Grenadiers British rider Ben Turner celebrates winning the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 192 km race between Susa and Voiron, in the Alps, on August 26, 2025. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)

On stage four of the final grand tour of the year, one that began in Italy and finished in France, Ineos Grenadiers’ rider Turner revealed his developing sprinting prowess to beat the great Jasper Philipsen to land the biggest win of his career.

“It was really nice, something you dream of for a long time so it felt amazing to finally get that big win,” Turner told The Yorkshire Post from Monday’s rest day in Pamplona.

Ineos Grenadiers British rider Ben Turner celebrates on the podium after winning the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 192 km race between Susa and Voiron, in the Alps, on August 26, 2025. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)

“All the emotions came out at the end. But then the next day you’re straight back at it, so no time to rest.”

And straight back to the day job of helping the team.

“It’s definitely the case that a lot of the time I’m helping others and trying to help the team, but at times I get that free role to go for it and lately I’ve been allowed that quite a lot so I’m just trying to make the most of it,” said Turner, who also had a win in similar sprinting circumstances at the Tour of Poland last month.

“Now I’ve proved I can win, I’ll try and go down that road again if the opportunity arises, but there’s going to be more times when I’m helping the team.

“When there is a chance, hopefully I can make the most of it again.

“I’ve had a good back end of the year and a lot of confidence came from that, it was high coming into the Vuelta so to now win a stage is a big confidence boost.”

So is this most dependable of domestiques who Ineos have called upon four times previously at grand tours, including twice at the Tour de France, now a sprinter?

“Not really,” laughs the long-time JLT Condor and Trinity Racing rider before he graduated to the World Tour.

“I’m just trying to be the best I can be. I’ve always had a good kick, so it’s always been there.

“At times I have been doing a lot of work for others, but once you prove yourself it starts to come.”

The job this next week is to continue helping team leader Egan Bernal climb up the general classification. The Colombian - the 2019 Tour de France champion who is working back into grand tour-contending form after a serious crash - sits 11th, two minutes 55 seconds down on leader Torstein Traeen.

“Egan’s looking really good. There’s a lot of hard days to come on the GC so hopefully we can support him the best we can.

“He’s getting back to what he was, he’s taken some big steps this year back to where he was, that’s nice to see.

“He looked amazing when I did the Giro with him, so hopefully he can continue that and we can have some success.

“It’s a lot of climbing for me this week, not too much sprinting, but I might get another opportunity next week and if so, I’ll try to make the most of it.”