UEC President Says Konya Is Ready for World Class Cycling Events

European Cycling Union President Enrico Della Casa, who is in Konya for the 2026 UEC Elite European Track Cycling Championships, paid a visit to Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay.

Speaking during the visit held at the Metropolitan Municipality’s Taş Bina, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay said they were very pleased to host Casa in Konya.

Thanking Casa for his support of the organization, Mayor Altay said, “Konya has been hosting very important sports events in recent years. In 2022, we organized the Islamic Solidarity Games with the participation of 55 Islamic countries. We continue to host new events using the facilities built within this scope. In this context, Konya was selected as the ‘World Sports Capital’ in 2023. This year, we were also chosen as the ‘2026 European Cycling Capital.’ At the same time, Konya has been designated as the ‘Youth City’ for 2026 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Within this framework, we continue to organize many events and activities.”

European Cycling Union President Enrico Della Casa also said he was pleased to be in Konya, noting that the “2026 UEC Elite European Track Cycling Championships,” featuring more than 310 cyclists from over 30 countries, are broadcast live every evening and watched across Europe.

Emphasizing that the championship is very important for promoting Konya and especially the velodrome, Casa said, “There are two key points: children and tourism. You have done very valuable work to improve mobility and transportation for children in the city. The event we are organizing will also be exciting and appealing for children, as it will help them set goals for the future and support their current education and personal development. I am confident that you will reap the benefits of this in the years to come. As for tourism, this event also serves as an important promotional tool for your city.”

Emphasizing that competition is one of the key factors in increasing Konya’s popularity, Casa continued, “You can host very important events here. Your velodrome is highly suitable and impressive for this purpose. Athletes who want to compete here will aim to break world records. To organize such events, you need not only a high-quality velodrome but also strong organizational capacity and a very competent organizing committee. We were already confident in this, which is why we arrived with great peace of mind. This will provide a strong partnership and a significant advantage for you.”

Also referring to the Mobility Bike Forum they organize every year, Casa concluded, “We are holding it in Athens this year. I suggest that it be hosted in Konya in the coming years as well. Konya has a sufficiently strong organizational system to do this.”

DELEGATION VISITS BICYCLE MUSEUM

Following the visit, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay toured the Velespit Museum—established by the Metropolitan Municipality in the Meydan Evleri area—with European Cycling Union President Enrico Della Casa and Turkish Cycling Federation President and UCI Solidarity Commission member Emin Müftüoğlu.