Turkish delight

Simon Warren attempts a new climb that's up there with the mightiest in the WorldTour

- Simon Warren

"Why are we going on holiday to Turkey, Dad?" "Well... Are you sitting comfortably? Then let me tell you about Babadağ..."

It was April 2023 and I came upon the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey on TV. I found myself instantly shouting at the screen. “What the hell is this road? I have to ride it!” In an inspired move at the end of stage three, the race organisers had chosen to place the killer climb to end all killer climbs up a mountain called Babadağ.

This was the perfect manifestation of using a sporting event to attract visitors to your country, and it got me, hook, line and sinker. Granted, most people watching the race would've been attracted by the seemingly endless beaches and the crystal-clear waters of the Aegean, but I'd been introduced to a simply sensational road.

Adrenaline-junkie holidaymakers heading to the towns of Fethiye and Ölüdeniz in southwest Turkey will know the mountain as a destination for paragliders to throw themselves off, but it's only very recently come to the attention of cyclists, thanks to its transformation from dirt track to sealed road.