Cyclists from around the globe raring to go as Tour of Turkiye set for Sunday start

By Emrah Oktay

MUGLA, Turkiye (AA) – The 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkiye, the world’s only intercontinental cycle race, is set to kick off on Sunday.

Starting from Bodrum in southwestern Turkiye, cyclists will cover 1,303 kilometers (809 miles) in eight stages before the UCI ProSeries race culminates in Istanbul on April 17.

The race will have 175 participants from 34 countries and 25 teams from 14 countries.

Six WorldTour teams are in the hunt for the title this year, up from three in the previous edition, along with 12 professional and seven continental teams.

The racers will change continents at three different points – from Asia to Europe on the sixth day, returning to Istanbul’s Asian side in the latter stages and then crossing to the metropolis’ European part again.

Millions of spectators across five continents will be able to follow the race live on TRT Sport and Eurosport, along with local and international coverage of the highlights and news on hundreds of channels.

- A challenge and stepping stone

The Tour of Turkiye has immense importance in this year’s cycling calendar since it serves as the last major test before the prestigious Giro d’Italia.

All teams will be raring to make the most of the opportunity and hit their performance peaks before heading to Italy for the May 6-29 event, setting the stage for an engaging competition in Turkiye over the next week.

In the Turkish tour, teams will be wary of what is known as the “queen stage,” the 147-kilometer (91-mile) Izmir-Manisa stage scheduled for the fourth day.

The final 15 kilometers (9 miles) are an uphill stretch to the Spil Mountain National Park at an altitude of approximately 1,200 meters, making this the stage where the eventual winners will set themselves apart from the pack.

- NFT awards

The Tour of Turkiye will set another first in the world of professional cycling with a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) trophy.

Other NFTs are also being specially made for the race – stages, suits and mugs – to be sold in a limited number in a specially designated marketplace.

- Stages

Bodrum – Kusadasi: 207 kilometers (128 miles)

Selcuk (Ephesus) – Alacati: 158 kilometers (98 miles)

Cesme – Izmir (Karsiyaka): 123 kilometers (76 miles)

Izmir (Konak) – Manisa (Spil): 147 kilometers (91 miles)

Manisa –Ayvalik: 192 kilometers (119 miles)

Edremit (Akcay) – Eceabat (57th Infantry Regiment Memorial): 205 kilometers (127 miles)

Gelibolu – Tekirdag: 135 kilometers (83 miles)

Istanbul – Istanbul: 136 kilometers (84 miles)

- Teams

World teams include Bora-Hansgrohe (Germany), Israel-Premier Tech (Israel), Astana Qazaqastan Team (Kazakhstan), Lotto Soudal (Belgium), Team BikeExchange-Jayco (Australia) and Team DSM (Netherlands).

Pro teams include Alpecin-Fenix (Belgium), Team Arkea Samsic (France), UNO-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway), Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli, Bardiani CSF Faizane, EOLO-Kometa Cycling Team (Italy), Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Equipo Kern Pharma, Burgos BH (Spain), Human Powered Health, Team Novo Nordisk (USA).

Continental teams are Bike Aid, Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team (Germany), Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling (USA), Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality Pro Team, Spor Toto Cycling Team (Turkiye), China Glory Continental Team (China) and Global 6 Cycling (New Zealand).

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas