ANTALYA, Türkiye
With more competitors targeting the general classification and a tougher race profile this year, the defending winner of the Tour of Türkiye does not see himself as a major favorite.
Frank van den Broek of Team Picnic PostNL said that as a team they are not approaching this like any other race.
“It’s my team that lined me up here. I enjoyed it last year. It’s a similar program. With the sprint training here, we can have a result again on every stage. I’m looking forward to it,” Van den Broek said.
Asked about the impact of big names like Mark Cavendish and Jasper Philipsen who have competed in previous editions of the Tour of Türkiye, he reflected on how their participation helped boost the race’s profile.
Van den Broek said that both athletes are true sprinters, which definitely makes this more of a sprinter’s race and that he is more focused on the general classification.
He highlighted the kindness of the people in Türkiye and mentioned how much he enjoys the food, also recalling his visit in October for a weekend and that he had a great time.
The 24-year-old Dutch cyclist added that his favorite Turkish food is lahmacun.
From Marmara Tour to international prestige
The event, originally launched as the Marmara Tour in 1963, gained international status in 1965, and later came under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, becoming one of the region’s most prestigious races.
Starting from Antalya on April 27, cyclists will cover 1,153 kilometers (716 miles) over eight stages, passing through renowned Turkish tourism hotspots such as Kemer, Kalkan, Fethiye, Marmaris, Akyaka, Aydin, Kusadasi, Selcuk, and Cesme, before concluding the race in the Aegean city of Izmir on May 4.
The 2025 edition will see 160 cyclists from 23 teams across 13 countries and three continents competing. The race will be broadcast live internationally on Eurosport and domestically on TRT Spor, helping to showcase Türkiye’s beauty and cycling culture to a global audience.
