PREVIEW | Tour of Turkey 2024 - Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda main favourite in a race headlined by Cavendish and Welsford

The Tour of Turkey takes place from the 21st to the 28th of April. It is one of the longest stage-races in the calendar and covers a meaningful portion of the country, in a race that features opportunities for all kinds of riders. We preview the race ahead.

As we read on cyclinguptodate.com, the first day of racing in Turkey will not be a complicated one, but instead one where the sprinters will have a good opportunity to win the stage and take the lead of the race in the city of Antalya.

Day 2 of racing in Turkey will be a tricky and complicated one. it features climbing from start to finish, with different lengths and steepness. Towards the end we've got a long ascent and descent as well with plenty explosive climbs in the middle; whilst the final kilometers into Kas are also rolling and feature a hilltop finish.

Stage 3 from Fethiye to Marmaris is another hilly day, which starts off with four steep ascents where a strong group can go up the road. A day marked by the short and steep climbs. It shouldn't be crucial for the overall classification, but can lead to a very interesting day of racing where many riders can fight for the win.

Stage 4 begins with a climb right from the start in Marmaris which sets the tone for the day. Into Bodrum, it's a day that is expected to end in a sprint but not between all riders, as a few ascents and the uphill drag to the line will limit the amount of riders capable of fighting for victory.

Stage 5 from Bodrum to Kusaddasi is another hilly day where many riders can fight for the win and many scenarios are possible. The day features three ascents early in the day that will set some fatigue; whilst the final kilometers also feature some climbs where attacks are expected.

The queen stage, with no doubt. Day 6 of the race is mostly flat but features a long summit finish at Spil Dagi. The final climb is 14 kilometers at 7%, it will create meaningful differences and test the best climbers in the race to their limit.

The riders find a day that should be more calm on the penultimate stage of the race. From Cesme to Izmir the peloton faces it's flattest stage to date, and the expected bunch sprint finish will happen at the exact sea level.

The race finishes, as traditional, in Istanbul. It is always a very interesting stage as well, mostly flat but the small explosive climb to the line always makes for spectacular racing, aided by the technical aspect of the ascent.

Prediction Tour of Turkey 2024 overall classification:

*** Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda, Victor Langellotti
** Mark Donovan, Harold Martín López
* Vadim Pronskiy, Paul Double, Samuele Zoccaratto, Anatoliy Budyak, Merhawi Kudus

Pick: Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda