By Fatih Erel
IZMIR, Turkiye (AA) – The Tour of Turkiye’s stop at historic Gelibolu (Gallipoli) has special significance, as that hallowed ground has great importance for all Australians, said star Aussie cyclist Caleb Ewan, who won the first stage of the 57th Presidential Tour of Turkiye.
Ewan said on Wednesday that he is "impatiently" waiting for the tour to hit Gallipoli later this week, and added, "I will do my best to win that stage."
Stating that Gallipoli, where the World War I Battle of Canakkale (the Dardanelles) took place, has special meaning for Australians and New Zealanders, as thousands of ANZAC troops gave their lives in 1915-1916, the star of the Lotto Soudal team said he will work extra hard on that leg of the race.
Some 8,000-9,000 Australian soldiers died in the hard-fought Battle of Gallipoli, as did nearly 3,000 New Zealand soldiers and 87,000 Ottoman soldiers.
Every April 25, ANZAC Day, the battle’s pivotal place in the forging of the Turkish, Australian, and New Zealand nations is commemorated with a special dawn ceremony at Gallipoli.
- 'I especially wanted to come to Turkey'
Emphasizing that he especially wanted to come to Turkiye, Ewan said that he is always happy to compete on Turkish soil.
"I really like this tour. I specifically asked my team to come here. It has great weather and a beautiful track,” said Ewan, 27.
“Every time we come, we pass different and beautifully prepared new routes for sprinters. I think the tour is an important opportunity for sprinter cyclists like us."
Emphasizing that it was a good preparatory race ahead of bigger races, Ewan said, "A few weeks later, I will race in the Giro (Tour of Italy). But I feel that this race has made a great contribution to my keeping in shape. As long as my team comes, I want to race in Turkiye every year."
He added about the race: "If we think that the stage will also be a sprint, I will do my best to climb to the top of the podium on that special day."
The tour is set to reach Gallipoli on Saturday, on the 135-kilometer (84-mile) stage 7.
The eight-stage Tour of Turkiye spans a total distance of 1,303 km (810 mi.) and will conclude in Istanbul on Sunday, April 17.
Six World Tour teams are vying for the title this year, up from three in the previous edition, along with 12 professional and seven continental teams.
The Turkish Cycling Federation has been organizing the tour, earlier known as the Marmara Tour, since 1963.
The race is being broadcast live on TRT Spor Yildiz and Eurosport, while Anadolu Agency is among sponsors for the global event.
*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp