More Than A Warm-Up In The Sun…

Feyzi Acikalin

Cycling sport has probably the most busy race calendar of the world. This situation shows both how widespread the cycling sport is and how much developed its industry is. Institutions spending millions of euros to support teams want to gain visibility in these races in return for their contributions. For this reason, determining in which races the professional teams will take place has a great importance…

The calendar which starts with races held in warm climates in February accelerates with Spring Classics in April. One day classics which have a hundred years old tradition are the first performance area of the season. Teams are formed of star athletes who have the ability to win these races. Subsequent goals are three big staged race classic, namely the Tours of Italy, France and Spain. All the one week staged races in between roughly has the aim of preparation for these races…

It is not very easy for the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey, which has been increasingly recognized in the last three years by professional cycling world although being 46 years old, to come to the forefront in this busy calendar. Being far away from the Continental Europe geographically is considered as one of the biggest handicaps of our Tour. Professional teams prefer to participate to the ones which are in the distance they can go by their team cars instead of participating in our race coinciding with the date of Spring Classics. And when the big burden over the teams brought by global crisis is added to these problems, especially the organizers of all HC class races complain about the participation of the teams…

As well as these disadvantages stated above, the first choice of a sports administrator, who let alone meeting with Turkey in sportive terms doesn’t know it even as a primary education knowledge, is naturally in favour of the race that he knows before. They may not comprehend that Turkey would be a market big enough for the product the athlete is carrying on his jersey. It appears that they miss the mark that the Tour will be broadcasted for 8 days by Eurosport through two hour live broadcast and only a few races in Europe is able to have this privilege…

However it will be seen that the Tour planned to be held at the end of April starting from the next year is an ideal preparatory race for professionals. Administrators, who revise the annual race calendar according to the form conditions of their athletes after first two preparatory months, will prefer the Tour combining climbing and sprint stages in a warm climate. Tour will serve as an “appetizer” in a menu rather than being a “warm up” race held in a warm climate in the beginning of the season… A taste, taken before the main dish, sometimes in the quality that makes one dispense with taking the main dish due to its flavour and fulfilment…

Although the publicity of the country function of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey sometimes brought to the fore, organizers of the Tour will continue to keep the standard high to increase recognition of the race among professionals. All sorts of prerequisites from the transfer and accommodation of the athlete to providing safe race opportunities will be realized in the best possible way. Athlete and administrator will witness the excitement of ambitious organizers working for the success of the Tour, will see warm human relations in a warm climate; will learn about our country.

Press will have the last and most important mission. Highlighting the teams that are prepared most seriously for the Tour and brought their best athletes, star administrators like Chippolini will be the task of the press. During the live broadcast display, it will be provided that sponsors to be seen as much as possible. The game will be played according to the book…