Turkish tourism hub Marmaris to host Tour de France amateur race

MUĞLA

The picturesque coastal gem of Marmaris, nestled in Türkiye’s southwestern province of Muğla, is set to become a worldwide hotspot for amateur cyclists when it hosts L’Étape Marmaris by Tour de France on June 7 — an official event in the prestigious global series.

Tour de France is a prestigious professional cycling race, while L’Etape by Tour de France is its official global series that allows amateur riders to experience the legendary atmosphere and challenge of a tour stage.

Part of a global series spanning 35 cities across 20 countries, the Marmaris edition is organized by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the organizer of the Tour de France, and Turkish event company 78 Event.

Organizers say this year’s race in Türkiye will combine the spirit of the iconic yellow jersey with challenging routes inspired by the Tour de France’s legendary mountain stages, set against Marmaris’ natural landscape.

Cyclists who place in their age categories in the event will earn the right to compete in L’Etape du Tour, held in France.

At the race’s launch event, local officials emphasized Marmaris’ suitability for cycling thanks to its climate, terrain and accessibility, as well as the role of the race in promoting sports tourism.

Beyond the competition, they emphasized that the event is a project designed to create lasting value and inspire the next generation of athletes.

With the Marmaris stage, Türkiye will become one of the few countries to host two L’Etape races in a single year, following L’Etape Türkiye by Tour de France in Istanbul, scheduled for Sept. 20 this year.

Türkiye joined the L’Etape series in recent years, with Istanbul hosting the country’s first race in October 2024.

That two-day event welcomed around 3,000 amateur cyclists from 50 countries, competing on long, short and family-friendly courses across the city’s Asian and European sides.

In October last year, Istanbul hosted the race for a second time, drawing more than 2,000 cyclists on routes crossing the Bosphorus and passing through both urban and rural areas.

Top finishers from these events earned qualification spots for international L’Etape races in France.

Registration for both L’Etape Marmaris by Tour de France and L’Etape Türkiye by Tour de France is currently open.