Tour of Türkiye kicks off in Alanya

ANTALYA

The Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye (TUR) has commenced in southern Alanya town with the participation of 25 professional cycling teams.

Turkish cycling’s premier event was postponed from its original date, April 23-30, due to the devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye’s south on Feb. 6.

The race promises a thrilling ride across the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlines. The eight-stage race is all set to culminate in the historic peninsula of Istanbul, an 8,000-year-old marvel.

The inaugural stage, a 135km flat stretch from Alanya to Antalya city, kicked off the competition, followed by the challenging 166.5km second stage from Kemer to Kalkan districts along the Mediterranean shore. The third stage, spanning 104km around Fethiye, is specifically designed for climbers, culminating at the summit of Babadağ. This arduous 18.9km climb, with an average slope of 10.8 percent, poses a challenge, favoring exceptional riders, such as UAE Team’s Finn Fisher-Black and Jay Vine. The stage also features a first-category climb before the final ascent of Babadağ.

Stage 4 from Fethiye to Marmaris is tailor-made for sprinters, while the 180km fifth stage from Marmaris to Bodrum includes a first-category climb on a hilly route. The tour's Aegean leg will conclude with the Bodrum-Selçuk and Selçuk-İzmir stages before the cyclists move on to Istanbul for the grand finale.

The tour’s concluding stage, spanning 130.5km and starting and ending in the historic Sultanahmet Square, will witness two remarkable intercontinental crossings – from Europe to Asia via the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and from Asia to Europe through the Eurasia Tunnel.

Among the participants, one rider commands special attention – Mark Cavendish. The British cycling icon, who recently announced the extension of his retirement by another year with team Astana, is back in Türkiye after his remarkable performance in the 2021 tour. Despite battles with the Epstein-Barr virus in 2017 and clinical depression in 2018, Cavendish made a triumphant comeback in Türkiye in 2021 by securing four stage wins in April. Subsequently, at the Tour De France, he clinched three more stages, equaling Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx's record of 34 Tour stage wins.

Cavendish, a stage winner in the TUR in 2014, 2015 and 2021, is vying to set a new record in this year’s edition by surpassing his shared record with Andre Greipel. As the world watches, Türkiye’s cycling enthusiasts are in for an exhilarating week of intense competition and historic moments.