Eastern city hosts mountain bike championship

ERZURUM

Turkish cyclists have worked up to the collar as the opening day of the three-day Mountain Bike Türkiye Championship came to an end at Palandöken Mountain in the eastern province of Erzurum.

Senior athletes competed on the 1.5-kilometer tough runway on the first day of the championships organized by the provincial directorate of the Youth and Sports Ministry along with the Erzurum Municipality.

“This course has been diligently prepared over the past three months,” said race director Mustafa Kocaman during an interview with local media. 

Noting that there is a two-kilometer track with three points, Kocaman said that the tracks were rebuilt following the persistent rains.

“I express my gratitude to all of the contributors. All these senior male and female athletes will travel to Russia with the points they earned. They will be sent to the International Cycling Union where they will earn Olympic points and train for the 2028 Olympic Games,” he further added.

Kocaman pointed out that  nearly 300 athletes from all 81 provinces of the country are participating in the championship in 25 different categories, stressing that the most successful Turkish athletes are taking part in the competition.

While the winner of the men's category was Emre Yavuz, the winner of the women's category was Azize Bekar as a result of the first day's competitions of the championship.

Hosting a crucial part of the race, the Palandöken Ski Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in the world with its five-month skiing season and long tracks. The resort has begun to attract more attention as a tourist destination and a major hub for international winter travel as the city hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade.

Palandöken hosts snow festivals as well as a variety of ski and snowboard contests in different categories. A total of ten resorts are located within the ski area, while the surrounding area also has numerous restaurants, daily facilities and ski lodges.

While the accommodation capacity of the ski center is approximately 5,530 people, these facilities offer visitors a comfortable and enjoyable winter sports experience.