About Us
Gursel Akay
Born in 1960, Gürsel Akay has made significant efforts to promote the cycling lifestyle and culture in Turkey. In the 1990s, he published a magazine called Yeşil Bisiklet with his team, thus trying to address the lack of technical knowledge in this field.
At every opportunity, the contribution of cycling to the environment has been emphasised, and various events have been organised in this area.
Additionally, due to his involvement in sports from a young age, he has contributed to the development of cycling through events, competitions, and promotions.
In the 1990s, motivated by his experience as a mountaineer, he cycled up Mount Erciyes and crossed the Kaçkar Mountains by bike.
In 2000, he was part of the first Turkish team (Ericsson Türk) to finish the Eco Challenge, the world's toughest multi-discipline team race held on Borneo Island, which is solely powered by muscle strength.
In 2002, he achieved 7th place among 25 European teams in the Red Bull Giants of Volcano race held in Sicily. This ranking is considered one of the best results Turkey has achieved in such extreme sports competitions.
In 2009, he was part of the only Turkish team to participate in the 24 Hour MTB race held in Scotland. Despite very challenging conditions, the team (Team Istanbul) covered 250 km in mountainous terrain, receiving acclaim.
Gürsel Akay achieved championships in pole vaulting, a sport he started at Galatasaray High School, and after leaving the sport in his twenties, he developed an interest in outdoor sports, earned a badge in underwater sports, and was also involved in mountaineering during his university years.
In 2012, he returned to his first love, pole vaulting, and became the Turkish and Balkan champion in the veteran category.
In recent years, he has participated in the 70.3 Antalya Ironman races multiple times, and in 2019, his team won first place in the Relay category, which had 75 teams competing.
With a passion for cycling that began in 1985, he has undertaken countless tours within Turkey, and in the early 1990s, he established the Green Bicycle shop to share his skills in bicycle repair and mechanical problem-solving with cycling enthusiasts.
He played a supporting role in the psychodrama-style film 'Dersaadet Apartmanı', written and directed by Tankut Kılınç, where the main roles involved cycling. The film was screened at the Golden Orange Festival in 2019.
In 2025, director Burak Uyanık, who is also a cycling enthusiast and activist, focused on Gürsel Akay's sports life in the biographical film 'The Bicycle That Came Home'.
He still operates a shop named after himself and continues to share his 40 years of experience in cycling with enthusiasts.
