Ahmet Örken was unable to complete the second stage of the Tour of Turkey on Monday. However, the 30-year-old cyclist did not abandon the race due to a fall or illness but rather because he was disqualified by the race jury. The reason was a dispute with another cyclist during the race, resulting in a physical altercation in which Örken threw a punch at an opponent.
Örken has been considered one of the best Turkish cyclists for nearly a decade. The athlete has been a nine-time national Time Trial champion and also won the Turkish road championship in 2019. He has also claimed stage victories in races like the Tour of Qinghai Lake, the Tour of Serbia, and the Tour of Morocco. Örken currently competes for the Spor Toto continental cycling team.
Örken shared his version of the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter. “During the race, a cyclist hit me in the stomach because I didn’t want to yield. So, I reacted out of a kind of reflex. However, I couldn’t defend myself. I wasn’t heard, especially because the other cyclist is part of a professional cycling team.”
“I admit that I made a mistake, but I find it a pity that the other rider was not punished. This is the first time I have had to leave the Tour of Turkey early. This is really regrettable. I would like to apologize and wish my teammates good luck.”