TOUR D’AFRIQUE RIDERS PASS HALFWAY MARK

The first half of the 2010 Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race and Expedition is complete.  Recovering from clocking up 5 232 km in 48 days through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya, the riders recently enjoyed three well deserved rest days in Arusha, Tanzania.

Now back on their bikes, the remaining 6 538kilometres through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa lies ahead.
The first half was immensely challenging as the riders faced flash floods, scorching heat and torrential downpours on their trek along some of the most difficult roads in Africa. 

Actuary and avid adventure cyclist, Jethro De Decker (26) from George resigned from his job in Amsterdam last year and traded in his car for a new bicycle in order to make travel his way of life.

“Nobody ever looks back wishing they had spent more time in an office.” said De Decker. “In Cairo we were a diverse group that had signed up for an inconceivable challenge. Having now survived the deserts of the North, the mountains of Ethiopia, the lava rock plains and rains of Kenya and crossed the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere, we are now the TDA 2010.“

While Peter Pizer (54) from Gauteng is looking forward to the second half of the tour, he admitted to feeling sad.
“Time is going so fast. I've met lots of good people on the tour and off and everything just keeps getting better.”
Pizer is riding to raise funds to support children who have been diagnosed with cancer.

To support Pizer in his fundraising efforts contact Kate Davis pizer.foundation@gmail.com
The tour finishes at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 15th May.
For more information, visit www.tourdafrique.com