The peloton had been due to tackle a 164.1 kilometre route from Bursa to Kartepe.

But the race was reduced by four kilometres by organisers due to snowfall on the summit finish.

An early breakaway ultimately ended in failure, with the peloton remaining together towards the finish.

Valerio Conti produced the key attack as the Italian sought to move clear in the final five kilometres.

Großschartner, Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel and Merhawi Kudus of Eritrea followed the Italian.

And Großschartner broke clear as the finish drew closer, with the Bora-Hansgrohe rider remaining clear to secure the stage win in 4 hours, 17 min and 13 sec.

He finished nine seconds ahead of Conti and Kudus, who ended second and third, respectively.

Großschartner now leads the general classification by 19 seconds from the second-place Conti.

Kudus is a further six seconds adrift in third.

The International Cycling Union WorldTour race will conclude tomorrow with a 172km sprint stage from Sakarya to Istanbul.

Also due to take place tomorrow is the Amstel Gold Race, with men’s and women’s events set to be staged.

Denmark’s Michael Valgren will start as defending champion in the men’s race, which will be contested over 263km.

The race could rest on the uphill sprint finish at the Valkenburg.

The women’s race will take place over 127km with Chantal Blaak the defending champion.

Blaak had triumphed last year in front of her fellow Dutch rider Lucinda Brand, with Australia’s Amanda Spratt third.