TOUR d' AFRIQUE

The tour/Race

The Tour d’Afrique takes four months to cover 11,800 km from Cairo to Cape Town on a bicyle travelling through 10 countries : Egypt, Sudan,  Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

It has been held each year since 2003 and about 400 cyclists from more than 20 countries have completed this interesting and exhausting journey.  The tour started on 14 January 2012 in Cairo, Egypt and are scheduled to end in May 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.

On the Tour d'Afrique riders will be sleeping in a combination of campgrounds and bush camps. Camping is mostly in organized campgrounds, but on about 1/3 of the nights it will simply be a bush camp alongside the route. These bush camps often do not have any facilities for washing, and water, other than drinking water, may be carefully rationed, especially in desert areas. The campgrounds will typically be on the outskirts of towns and cities along the route. On rest days camps are often in or near larger cities where water, tourist attractions and shops are readily available.

The benefits of  the Tour d’Afrique are several fold:

1.  To cross experience the beauty and diversity of Africa by bicycle.
2. It creates a unique athletic endurance event for both amateurs and professionals;

The Tour features 94 cycling days or stages, averaging 123 km each, broken up by 24 rest days and 2 days of ferry boat travel for a total of 120 days of crossing Africa from north to south. Stages range from 80 km on rough terrain to more than 180 km on the best paved roads.

Stage results and winners are announced each night and the official results are posted to the website 2-3 times per week. 

Some participants strive to attain elusive EFI (“Every Fabulous Inch”) status, with about a dozen riders succeeding each year.

3. To give something back to Africa by raising funds for bicycle donations to community health & development groups:

Alaric Cycles for the Kidz foundation is raising funds for two local charities Community Hope School and CWO 45.  CWO 45 is a welfare organisation based in Rehoboth, Alaric’s home town and Community Hope School is based in Windhoek,Namibia and are focused on educating Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

4. To  raise consciousness about bicycles as an alternative and appropriate means of transport.
5. To raise awareness of  the tourism opportunities in Africa: Soon after entry into each country, a presentation is given during an evening rider meeting. This includes orientation into the country’s history, geography, economy, demographics, culture and cuisine, the route we will be following, health and safety issues for the country in question, as well as a basic lesson in the local language.

The Tour is divided into 8 Sections with 94 cycling days or stages, averaging 123 km each, broken up by 24 rest days and 2 days of ferry boat travel for a total of 120 days in crossing Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. Stages range from 80 km on rough terrain to more than 180 km on the best paved roads.

Sections:

Section 1: Pharaoh’s Delight - Cairo to Khartoum

(Stage 1-15)

StartedJanuary 14 Cairo, Egypt, Finishing: Feb 1, Khartoum, Sudan. Distance: 1,955km Riding Days: 15 days Resting Days: 4 days

Section 2:The Gorge – Khartoum to Addis Ababa

(Stage 16-30)

Section 3: Meltdown Madness – Addis Ababa to Nairobi

(Stage 31-46)

Section 4:Masai Steppe – Nairobi to Mbeya

(Stage 47-56)

Section 5: Malawi Gin -Mbeya to Lilongwe

(Stage 57-62)

Section 6: Zambezi Zone – Lilongwe to Victoria Fall

(Stage 63 - 70)

Section 7:Elephant Highway-Victoria Falls to Windhoek

(Stage 71 -80)

Section 8:Diamond Coast -Windhoek to Cape Town

(Stage 81-94)

They are scheduled to race 9400 km of our 11700 km route through 10 countries