Tour D'Afrique 2007
Media Release
“THE GORGE” LOOMS AHEAD IN WEEK FIVE OF THE TOUR D’AFRIQUE
Tour d'Afrique, the annual 12 000-kilometer bicycle race/expedition from Cairo to Cape Town, billed as the most grueling bicycle race on earth, has just completed its fourth week of the 16 week odyssey and the first section from Cairo to Khartoum known as “Pharaoh’s Delight”.
“The biking in Sudan has been awesome” wrote Canadian adventure racer, Andrew Cameron. “The washboards have been abundant, violent and seldom avoidable, which made the arrivals into camp extremely rewarding.”
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After receiving a warm welcome by the Sudanese Cycling Federation and soaking up the culture, hustle and bustle of Khartoum last week the riders set their sights on tackling the second section of the Tour known as “The Gorge” from Khartoum to Addis Ababa .
On this 16-day, 1,592-kilometre section, the riders will experience the many changes that occur as they cycle from the Arabic Muslim world of Northern Africa into the more tribal and traditional nature of the Horn of Africa.
On Friday the Tour said goodbye to the desert landscape and the unique hospitality of Sudan as they crossed the border into Ethiopia where they will be challenged by the rolling highlands of this spectacularly beautiful country.
Dutch racer, Adrie Frijters still holds the lead in the men’s race, with Gunther Tielemans of Belgium, 5 hours and 30 seconds behind him, while Janet Alexander from New Zealand still leads the women’s race, but Eva Nijssen of Holland has taken several stage wins recently as Janet recovers from injury and sickness.
The six South African riders are doing well, with Patrick Thomas from Cape Town, holding 11th position in the men’s race and Alice Rawlinson from Johannesburg in third position in the women’s race.
After two rest days in Gondar on Monday, the riders will head off once again to experience the highlight of this section, the Blue Nile Gorge, an 1800-meter precipitous descent and ascent over a crumbling road that will test the mettle of cyclists of any calibre
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For regular updates and more information visit www.tourdafrique.com
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