Tour d'Afrique is one of the longest bicycle expeditions in the world. It is organised by TDA Global Cycling, a Canadian company based in Toronto. It runs each year from January to May, from
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
to
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
. The participants are expedition riders who cover each day at their own pace, stopping in the villages and roadside cafes. There are about 20 rest days. The organisers prepare three meals every day and transport tents and other equipment the riders need for the night stops.
The 2003 Tour d'Afrique set a
Guinness World Record for fastest crossing of Africa by bicycle and this was achieved by nine participants of the race, Michael Kennedy, Chris Evans, Dave Genders (all from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
), Paul Reynaert (
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
), Jeremy Wex, Steve Topham, Scotty Robinson, Andrew Griffin (all from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) and Sascha Hartl (
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
). The 2008 Tour d'Afrique did not cross Kenya due to the political situation and reported violence.
The race component of the Tour d'Afrique was suspended after 2017, with the event continuing as an annual cycling expedition.
Historical Race Results Tour d'Afrique race results
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References
Literature
''Hardy Grüne:'' Tour d'Afrique: 12 000 Kilometer Radrennen von Kairo nach Kapstadt, 2011
External links
Official siteLonely Planet coverage of 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tour d'Afrique
African international sports competitions
Cycling events