ŠKODA Çanakkale Gran Fondo cycling race held in Turkey

The inaugural ŠKODA Çanakkale Gran Fondo, an official organization of the Turkish National Olympic Committee, was held in Çanakkale, Turkey. The event brought together 924 cyclists from 13 different countries, including 104 women and 820 men.

The race route featured a unique crossing between two continents. Participants started at Çanakkale Cumhuriyet Square, took a ferry from the GESTAŞ pier to the European side, and cycled through Eceabat, Kilitbahir, and Alçıtepe on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The route then crossed the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge to return to the Asian side, finishing back at the starting square.

Competitors participated in two different distances: a long course of 112.75 kilometers and a short course of 77.31 kilometers. In the long course, Cengiz Güner and Züleyha Dikbaş secured first place in the men's and women's categories, respectively. In the short course, Erkan Güngör and Aylin Yüce were the winners.