The 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, which kicks off in Bodrum on Sunday, will attract a global audience across five continents this year, Turkey Cycling Federation President Emin Müftüoğlu has said.
The iconic Tour of Türkiye, the world’s only intercontinental cycle race, will be live on Turkish state broadcaster TRT, while Eurosport will telecast the event internationally.
Müftüoğlu said they were hoping billions of people around the world would enjoy the live broadcast, as well as highlights of Turkey’s flagship cycling event.
"It will be broadcast live on TRT and Eurosport. There will also be local and international coverage of the highlights and news on the event. We are finalizing contracts to broadcast the event across five continents,” he told the Anadolu Agency (AA).
The cycling body chief said the Tour of Türkiye could be a great promotional tool for the country and they were targeting to reach 600 million households and billions of viewers.
“Given the tour’s great potential for publicity, we are working together with the Culture and Tourism Ministry," he said.
“Turkey is an important tourist destination. This tour provides publicity that can contribute to the country’s economy,” he added.
The revised route for this year’s race will feature key historic and natural sites across Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean regions.
“Turkey suffered some devastating forest fires last year. We want to raise awareness on the importance of nature,” the cycling federation head said.
Cyclists will also cross the newly opened 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world.
The 57th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, to be held from April 10-17, will cover a total of 1,303 kilometers.
It will start at Bodrum, located on western Turkey’s Aegean coast, and take cyclists through eight different stages before finishing in Istanbul.
Twenty-five teams from 14 countries and 175 cyclists will join the race. There will be 12 pro teams, including seven WorldTour and six continental teams, among the participants.
This year’s event has added four more WorldTour teams that will feature top races like Nairo Quintana, Sam Bennett and Chris Froome.
Stage 1: Bodrum-Kuşadası: 207 kilometers
Stage 2: Selçuk (Efes)-Alaçatı: 158 kilometers
Stage 3: Çeşme-İzmir (Karşıyaka): 123 kilometers
Stage 4: Izmir (Konak)-Manisa (Spil): 147 kilometers
Stage 5: Manisa-Ayvalık: 192 kilometers
Stage 6: Edremit (Akçay)-Eceabat (57. Alay Şehitliği): 205 kilometers
Stage 7: Gelibolu-Tekirdağ: 135 kilometers
