Talat Tunçalp, Turkish racing cyclist, Died at 101

Talat Tunçalp was born on October 1, 1915, and died on January 1, 2017.

He was a Turkish cyclist.

Talat Tunçalp was born in Istanbul, Turkey in the mid-to-late 1910s, though his birth year was variously reported as 1915,1917, and 1919.

Talat Tunçalp took up cycling and won his first sprint race in 1932.

From 1933 through 1949, Tunçalp was the Turkish National Champion in the road race 16 times and the sprint 15 times.

Talat Tunçalp attended the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, finishing joint eighth in the individual road race with his country failing to medal in the team version.

Tunçalp also participated in the 1948 Summer Olympics but did not finish the individual race.

When he retired from active competition in 1949 he became president of the Turkish Cycling Federation in 1950 and held that position through 1968, the same year that he helped found what would become the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.

After the death of Halet Çambel on January 14, 2014, it was noted that Tunçalp was the oldest surviving Turkish Olympian.

Talat Tunçalp passed away at 102 years old.