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Leg 8

Istanbul to Çandır

Istanbul Seafront – 8.00 Thursday 20th June 2019

Ridden by the Pioneers — no longer available to book

This is the route and itinerary as it was planned for the ride, kept as a record of the journey so far. For legs you can still join, see the Book Now page.

Pioneers Leg 8 — Istanbul to Çandır, June 2019
Dates
20th to 23rd June 2019
Start
Istanbul Seafront – 8.00 Thursday 20th June 2019
Finish
Çandır – 17.00 Sunday 23rd June 2019. Buses to Ankara – 60 mins journey.
Days Cycling
4
Distance
628 km
Total climbing
9,580 m climbing
Max capacity
100 people

Itinerary

  1. Pre-Start – Istanbul 7.30pm 19th June 2019

    Drinks (pay bar!) at the roof top restaurant, restaurant and pool at the pre-start hotel (The DoubleTree Hilton) on the night before the ride. It will be a great opportunity to pick up your shirts and see everyone again before the cycling begins the next morning. Please note, unusually the hotel accommodation is included on the night before we leave Istanbul.

  2. Day 1 – Istanbul to Sapanca 151 km 1,880 m total ascent

    Our Grand Depart will be a short walk from the Double Tree Hilton Hotel on the seafront overlooking the Sea of Marmara. We will initially enjoy 32 km of almost entirely traffic free cycle paths along the sea through various parks. We then cycle through the suburbs on the outskirts of Istanbul before the countryside opens up, the roads get quieter and the climbing starts. We are treated to an amazing descent into Izmit for a late lunch in a turkish grill restaurant on the seafront. After more traffic free paths through Izmit we finish the day cycling along the south of Sapanca Lake. Home for the night is a 5* Wellness Spa Hotel overlooking the lake.

    Day 2 Strava Route

  3. Day 2 – Sapanca to Bolu – 153 km, 2,609 m total ascent

    We begin by cycling along the lake on cycle paths. After leaving the outskirts of Sapanca and Sakarya we cycle on ever quieter roads as we start climbing into the mountains. From sea level we reach 1,372 m elevation by mid afternoon as we cycle through a forested area renowned for brown bears, gazelles and wild boar. An early lunch is at a local trout farm in the hills – one of very few places to eat. The afternoon stop is a cafe on beautiful Lake Abant. Home for the night is a quirky 4* Spa Hotel in an oak forest.

    Day 3 Strava Route

  4. Day 3 – Bolu to Ayas – 164 km, 2,975 m ascent

    The climbing starts immediately as we leave the hotel. The day is joyous – very limited traffic, wilderness, mountains, rural life and plenty of climbing. Good road surface for the majority of the day. We stay above 762 m all day and reach the highest point of the trip at 1,646 m. As there are no restaurants along the way lunch will be a roadside picnic. Home for the night is another Thermal Spa hotel in a small town called Ayas.

    Day 4 Strava Route

  5. Day 4 – Ayas to Çandır – 156 km, 2,116 m total ascent

    Another joyous day in the wilderness with quiet roads and far reaching views all day. Lots of up and downs as we stay at an elevation of > 914 m all day. Early lunch is at a local grill restaurant in Kazan. The day is a masterclass is sampling different road surfaces – from the very best to the very worst! Unusually we finish at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and are picked up by buses to take us the 1 hour journey to Central Ankara. The crew will aim to provide cold beer & snacks while we pack up our bikes and travel to Ankara.

    Day 5 Strava Route