L'Étape by Tour de France is Coming to Turkey!

The most prestigious race determining the pinnacle of cycling, L'Étape by Tour de France, one of the world's largest sports organizations, will be held in Turkey for the first time. The promotion of L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France, the Turkey stage of the L'Étape by Tour de France Series initiated by the Tour de France organizers in 1993 to allow amateur cycling enthusiasts to be part of the great race, took place on Tuesday, June 4, at the Sepetçiler Pavilion in Istanbul.

A 3 year agreement was signed

Ömer Kafkas, General Manager of 78 Event, which is organizing the event in Turkey, was the first to speak at the meeting. He stated that they have been working on sports-focused projects for 10 years, saying, "It is exciting for us to host such an important organization and brand in Turkey. We will do our best to ensure it is an event worthy of Turkey." Noting that they managed a challenging process to bring the race to Turkey, Kafkas said, "The organization has much different and stricter criteria than all other international races. We have been working on it for years, and today we signed a 3 year agreement. Additionally, we will hold other major events of a continuous nature within the first 2 years."

This race is crucial for spreading the sport of cycling

President of the Turkish Cycling Federation, Emin Müftüoğlu, emphasized the importance of L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France for our country both in terms of sports and tourism, saying, "This organization is crucial for spreading the sport of cycling to the grassroots. Such races where amateur athletes participate are an important step for a sporty Turkey. The sport of cycling has made great strides in Turkey. We have gone from events with 5-6 participants to numbers in the 2000s. L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France will greatly contribute to this rise and will be watched worldwide as one of the world's top organizations in this field."

Everyone will be able to experience the passion of the Tour de France

After Müftüoğlu, Mathieu Clanchin, Project Manager of the L'Étape by Tour de France Series, greeted the guests in Turkish and began his speech. Reminding that the Tour de France is one of the largest sports events in the world, Clanchin said, "Until a few years ago, the biggest limit of the Tour de France was its geography. It was quite difficult for cycling enthusiasts who were not French citizens to participate in this event, experience this passion, and observe the stages. That's where the idea of the L'Étape by Tour de France Series came from. We wanted everyone interested in cycling to experience the Tour de France. Thanks to this series, amateur cyclists will be able to experience the same stage themselves a few days after the professionals." Clanchin concluded his words with the French phrase "Vive la Turquie, vive le Tour de France."

Our aim is to spread sports to all segments of society

Istanbul Provincial Director of Youth and Sports, Muhittin Özbay, who spoke after Clanchin, emphasized in his speech that their aim is to spread sports to all segments of society, saying, "We want to raise Olympic champions in every branch, but at the same time, we want to train sports lawyers, sports engineers, sports doctors, sports astronomers. The most important way to do this is to introduce our children to sports as early as possible. We have no other chance because we are part of a team with a sports governor, a sports minister, and a sports president."

Our Motto: 'Sports City Istanbul

Finally, Istanbul Deputy Governor Ünal Kılıçarslan, who took the floor, reminded that he had coordinated the last two races of the Presidential Cycling Tour, saying, "We are working for everyone from 7 to 77 to do sports in a city like Istanbul, which has been the capital of three empires, with the motto 'Sports City Istanbul.' We believe that this event will greatly contribute to our goal."

About L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France

L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France adds Turkey to the Tour de France chain as the 23rd country in the series. Over 3,000 athletes from 30 countries are expected to participate in L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France, which consists of 106.8 km "Long", 55.8 km "Short", and 6.7 km "Family and Children" routes. The starting and finishing point for all routes is set at Küçüksu Pavilion in Beykoz. The trophies to be awarded at the Turkey stage of L'Étape by Tour de France, one of the world's top 3 sports organizations, were specially crafted with copper handcraft, gifted to the organization by Mardin Governor Tuncay Akkoyun. The specially designed trophies bear traces of the place where civilization began, featuring engravings symbolizing the beaded field. L'Étape Turkey by Tour de France is also an organization aligned with Turkey's United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.