Cycling: 3rd Tour of Antalya to begin Feb. 20

By Hatice Ozdemir Tosun

ANTALYA,Turkey (AA) - The third edition of the Tour of Antalya will take place with the participation of 174 athletes from 23 countries on Feb. 20-23.

The event in the Turkish Mediterranean previously gained a 2.1 class designation from the calendar of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the governing body of cycling.

Turkish Cycling Federation head Erol Kucukbakirci told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the competition will contribute to the promotion of Turkey.

"There has been a serious increase in the number of camps for the cycling teams in Antalya. We do our best for the races," he said.

Kucukbakirci added that the federation has more than 4 million licensed cyclists in Turkey.

- 2 Turkish teams to compete in Tour of Antalya

Tour of Antalya's General Director Aydin Ayhan Guney said there has been significant development to improve the organization over the years since the first edition of the race.

At least 80 teams from the globe applied to the competition but 29 of them were selected.

"Turkey will be represented by two teams. We received more than 80 applications from all around the world to compete here. We chose the best teams from their countries. We decided on the tracks of Tour of Antalya in deference to the city's recognition. The last day of the contest will be a two-track race for the amateur cyclist," he said.

Athletes will compete on a 455-kilometer (283 miles) track in four stages while there will be a "Stop violence against women" race on the last day to raise awareness about the issue.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli