Preview of the Tour of Turkey 2024 | Jakobsen, Cavendish, and Welsford brace for big clash in warm and sunny Turkey

The Tour of Turkey (2.Pro) starts again in Antalya on Sunday. Normally held in October, this eight-day stage race has been moved forward several months on the cycling calendar. In contrast to the conditions in the Flèche Wallonne, the riders in Turkey will enjoy sunny weather, and the sprinters will make their final preparations for the Giro. IDLProCycling.com is therefore looking forward with great interest to this eight-day stage race.

Practical information Tour of Turkey 2024

• Sunday, April 21 - Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Participants
• Classification: 2.Pro

In this article

• Recent winners
• Course, climbs and times
• Favorites for stages and the general classification
• TV broadcasting information

Recent winners of the Tour of Turkey

2023 Alexey Lutsenko
2022 Patrick Bevin

Course, climbs, times and favorites Tour of Turkey 2024

Stage 1, Sunday, April 21: Antalya- Antalya (134.7 km)

The first stage in Turkey promises to be a sprinting event. Starting and finishing in Antalya, after a 134-kilometer ride with just a minor fourth-category climb, the fast men should still be in the peloton.

Climbs

Times

Favorites

Stage 2, Monday, April 22: Kemer - Kalkan (190.6 km)

The second stage of the Tour of Turkey is somewhat more challenging, featuring two categorized climbs. The first arrives early in the stage, covering 4.3 kilometers with an average gradient of nearly seven percent, while the summit of the last climb is only 65 kilometers from the finish. The second climb is longer at eleven kilometers, but with a gradient of five percent, it might be tough for the general classification riders to make a significant difference. Could this be an opportunity for the breakaway riders?

Climbs

Times

Favorites

Stage 3, Tuesday, April 23: Fethiye - Marmaris (147.4 km)

Stage three should again favor the sprinters. After a relatively calm day with just one third-category climb, the sprinters face the final bump of the day fifteen kilometers from the line. This hill is merely 1.3 kilometers long, but with an average gradient of 7.3 percent, it is not without its dangers.

Climbing
116.5 km: Mountain Prime (3.3 km at 5.3 %)
145 km: Mountain Prime (1.3 km at 7.3 %)

Times

Favorites

Stage 4, Wednesday, April 24: Marmaris - Bodrum (137.9 km)

The fourth stage of the Tour of Turkey takes riders from one resort town to another, starting in Marmaris. Along the way, there is a third-category climb and a second-category climb. The final climb is 6.3 kilometers long at an average of six percent but is over 45 kilometers from the finish, giving sprinters enough time to catch up, though breakaway riders might also see their chance here.

Climbs

Times

Favorites
Lars Boven (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Danny van Poppel (BORA-hansgrohe)
Davide Ballerini (Astana Qazaqstan)

Stage 5, Thursday, April 25: Bodrum - Kusadasi (177.9 km)

The fifth stage should also be right up the alley of the fast men. The course starts with two third-category climbs but is relatively flat overall, though the final kilometer twists and turns through the port of Kusadasi.

Climbs

Times

Favorites
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Sam Welsford (BORA-hansgrohe)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)

Stage 6, Friday, April 26: Kusadasi - Manisa (160.1 km)

"Finally", the climbers will say upon seeing the profile of stage six. Friday features the queen stage with a mountain-top finish at Spil Dagi, which will play a crucial role in the general classification. This climb is nearly fourteen kilometers long with an average gradient of seven percent, so the sprinters will be out of the picture.

Climbs

Times

Favorites
Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
Merhawi Kudus (Terengganu Cycling Team)

Stage 7, Saturday, April 27: Cesme - Izmir (124.5 km)

After the tough mountain stage, it's time to rest in Izmir. This popular holiday destination sets the scene for the seventh stage, which starts in Cesme and mostly runs along the coastline. The sprint finish will take place after just 124.5 kilometers on a long boulevard by the sea.

Climbs

Times

Favorites
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Sam Welsford (BORA-hansgrohe)
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team)

Stage 8, Sunday, April 28: Istanbul - Istanbul (105.4 km)

The final stage of the Tour of Turkey will once again favor the sprinters, though punchers also have am increased chance of winning in the metropolis of Istanbul. A mostly flat stage concludes with the last six hundred meters uphill at an average of six percent. Too little to knock the leader out of the leader's jersey, but enough to outwit the fast men on the flat.

Climbs

Times

Favorites
Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Sam Welsford (BORA-hansgrohe)
Lars Boven (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Favorites final classification Tour of Turkey, according to In the Leader's Jersey

Top favorites: Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling)
Outsiders: Carl Fredrik Hagen (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Lennert Teugels (Bingoal WB), Mark Stewart (Corratec-Vini Fantini) and Merhawi Kudus (Terangganu Cycling Team)
Longshots: Mark Stewart (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Aaron Gate (Burgos-BH), Vadim Pronskiy (Astana Qazaqstan), Frank van den Broek (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Victor Langellotti (Burgos-BH)

TV broadcasting and times for the Tour of Turkey 2024 (April 21-28, 2024)

Eurosport will be broadcasting live throughout the week, each day from 1:35 PM on Eurosport 1 and Eurosport.com. Only on day three, which finishes an hour earlier due to the Flèche Wallonne, the broadcast will start at 12:35 PM.