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Maximum Gran Fondo Baskent, one of Türkiye’s most prestigious amateur road cycling races, turned Ankara into a rolling cultural festival on Sunday, Aug. 24.
As riders passed through villages on the steppe, they were greeted with flowers and a traditional folk troupe—an experience organizers describe as unique worldwide.
The mass-participation “gran fondo” format, common across Europe, invites amateur cyclists to race on open-road courses with official timing and support.
The most vivid scenes unfolded in Tulumtas Village, where Ankara’s famed Seymenler—traditional folk guards and dancers closely tied to the city’s civic memory—welcomed riders with music and choreography.
Residents greet cyclists in Tulumtas Village during the 2025 Gran Fondo Baskent cycling race in Ankara, Türkiye, on August 24, 2025. (Video via Gran Fondo Baskent team)
The residents of Tulumtas village welcomed the cyclists with flowers in their hands. As the contestants passed by, they threw fragrant flowers at them.
The spectacle lifted morale for cyclists and created a carnival atmosphere for spectators along the route.
While the welcome stood out, competition remained sharp. In the short course, Mithat Temizyurek won the men’s race in 01:33:47, and Aylin Yuce led the women in 01:40:27.
The long course saw Toygar Suner take the men’s title in 02:25:53, with Azerbaijan’s Natalia Vallek winning the women’s race in 02:45:28.
Natalia Vallek of Azerbaijan’s Genc Pesekar Velosipedciler team called it a standout debut away from home, saying: “This is my first official competition without my country. It was an excellent experience, with a very friendly atmosphere. I’m so delighted, especially as I’m not a pro and only started cycling six months ago. I truly recommend everyone to come to Ankara for this race. Thank you.”
Starting at Bilkent Center and finishing back in Bilkent, the course threaded past the city landmark Atakule before rolling through Incek, Tulumtas, Halacli and Koparan.
The short course covered 56.6 kilometers (35 miles) with 1,096 meters of climbing, while the long course stretched to 90.6 kilometers (56 miles) with 1,237 meters of elevation—mixing technical descents, controlled climbs and broad straights where positioning and teamwork mattered.
Hundreds of cyclists took the start across amateur, club, city, paralympic and tandem categories (tandem refers to two-rider bicycles), drawing enthusiastic support along Angora Boulevard and elsewhere.
The event was held with the support of the Ankara Governorship, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the provincial directorate and the Turkish Cycling Federation and was organized by 78 Event.
Maximum Card—the credit card brand of Türkiye Is Bank—served as the naming sponsor, with additional backing from Skoda, Mosso, SPX, Sports International, Bilkent Center, Bilkent Hotel & Conference Center, Rova Technology, Koru Hospital, Bilintur and Tepe Emlak.
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