Davis remembers the Anzacs at Presidential Tour of Turkey

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A change of race schedule will allow Astana's Allan Davis to honour the fallen when the Australian rides in the Presidential Tour of Turkey which starts this Sunday, April 24.

The event kicks off in Istanbul before heading south on the 25th, Anzac Day, to Kusadasi. Anzac Day is arguably Australia's most important national day. While it was initially intended as a day of remembrance the anniversary of the World War I landing at Gallipoli, on Turkey's Aegean coast in 1915, it has since grown to include all of those Australians and New Zealander's lost in war.

"The first thing that comes to my mind is that a lot of Australians [8709] died at war in Turkey", Davis said. "I've never been to Turkey before but I'm happy to do so for the TUR," he continued. "I don't know much about the race but I know it's a good one for sprinters. To race with a good weather is a nice thing at this time of the year. It'll be great to contest the sprints against Tyler Farrar, Andre Greipel, Alessandro Petacchi and the other guys."

Greipel dominated last year's race, taking five stages. Other riders looking to put a dent in Greipel's winning run include Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) and Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale).

Davis had been in line to race both Amstel Gold and Fleche Wallonne but illness ended those plans and allowed the Commonwealth Games gold medallist to get some extra training in.

"I got crook last week," he explained. "I was sort of targeting the Amstel Gold Race but I got a stomach virus and I couldn't race. But I've come good this week. I've done some long days on the bike and I should be able to do more before I fly to Turkey."

The Astana team for the Presidential Tour of Turkey: Assan Bazayev, Allan Davis, Alexandr Dyachenko, Valentin Iglinskiy, Roman Kireyev, Yevgeniy Nepomnyachshiy, Sergei Renev, Andrey Zeits.