The finishline !!

The last ridingday on saturday, may 10, was a very special one: you have been cycling for 4 months to get to Capetown, and suddenly you see that name on the wyteboard as the destination for the next stage. Most of us started the day with mixed feelings: being away from your friends and familiy for 4 months is a very long time, the prospect of seeing them again is very nice. On the other hand everybody realised that this very inensive expedition would come to an end and that the group of people with whom you travelled through Africa, often in difficult situations, would fall apart.
In the morning I put down my tent, and threw it in the wastebasket with a big laugh. After having wrestled my red box into the truck for the last time, we took of in the direction Melkbosstrand, from where we would depart for the last kilometers to Capetown. There was an extensive fotoshoot on the beach, overlooking Robben-island, and at 12.30h we drove of, escorted by a lot of policecars and a group of cyclists from BEN (Bike Empowerment Network). Every kilometer the density of population got higher and the exitement grew, Finally a last turn to the left, and there it was: the finishline at The Waterfront in the heart of Capetown. At the line the three people I missed so much were waiting for me. Seeing Helene, Guus and Lieke again after 4 months generated an explosion of tears and happiness, it was a moment i will never forget. There were flowers, presents, photographers, journalists, interviews, flags of the participating countries, but above all: many tears and hugs.
After a light snack in a tent, we were marched towards the amfitheater. There were speeches, the winners of the race were announced (Jos Kaal and Deb Corbeil) and every rider received a medal. The EFI-riders were named, and everyone of them received a special medal. The last bike donation took place (90 bikes), by that time the rain came pouring down. Back again into the tent for champagne and snacks.
In the evening there was a diner for the participants and their families, during which the prices for the race were handed out, and several "thank you"s were delivered. The climax was the showing of a very beautifull slide-show with music about the Tour, made by the filmcrew using our own best pictures.
After the formal part, the disco started and our legs could do something else than cycling. It was a beautifull and warm ending to a very special biking-event!

The last week

The last part of the Tour d Afrique 2008 was made up of 6 stages, going from the Namibia-South African border to Capetown. The first three days we took the highway going south. It was a somewhat boring road with hardly any towns and moderate amount of traffic. On both sides of the road were vast prairie-area's. Some diversion was offered by the south african names of the towns. They are in a somewhat distorted variant of dutch, so it caused a smile on my face quit often.
The weather had shifted towards a more fall-like type: colder temperatures, fog and a drizzle, It was a pity, because it made the approach towards the coast less impressive than i had expected. I was on the coastal road for at least 10 km before i could see the first atlantic waves on my right. The last two camp-sites were at small seaside towns (Elandsbay and Yzerfontein). They gave me a somewhat sombre impression because of the grey weather. Luckily there were no accidents in the last week that made people loose their EFI-status.
The last night on may 9 in Yzerfontein was a very special one. The cook had really tried to organize a tasty barbecue, the wine and beer kept on flowing, and the basic theme in all the converstaion was (of course) the last 4 months. There was a prize-ceremony with a wink (the most beautifull legs, the weirdest laugh, etc) in short: it was party-time. With a howling atlantic ocean in the background, i fell asleep, dreaming about the final day.

The participants of the Tour d’Afrique

When I entered the breakfast room of the Cataract hotel in Caïro early January 2008, I was very curious to who I would meet there and with who I would spend the next 4 months. Who is THE TdA-rider?
Is it a group of biking fanatics who can only talk about chain rings, frames and cranksets? Or it is a group of endurance athletes who have only one focus, the finish? Are we talking about experienced travelers who jump from continent to continent? After having biked 4 month through Africa with this group, I can give you one answer: There is no such thing as THE TdA-rider, everybody has his own story, his own motive and his own approach to the Tour d’Afrique.
Let’s start with the facts: (I’m only talking about the 55 full riders, the ones who ride the whole distance) The youngest rider is 22, the oldest rider turned 68 in april. There is not one age group that is dominantly present. There are 9 riders above the 60 years, I estimate the average age on 45. 17 women take part, and 38 men, there are 7 husband/wife couples and 2 father/son combinations. Canada has 22 participants, the Netherlands comes in second place with 9 riders.
Some participants are retired; some don’t have to worry about work because of other reasons. There is a considerable number of people who have finished their studies or quit their jobs, and will have to find a new job after the Tour. A third group is formed by people like me, who have saved money or days off, or who have used a certain arrangement in their country to create the possibilitie to ride through Africa for 4 months.
Amongst the participants there are many endurance athletes: tri-athletes, marathon-runners (I know of at least two runners with a personal best under the 3.00 hours), mountain climbers, road cycle racers, etc. On the other hand there are quiet some people with little athletic experience, who have only started to cycle because they wanted to do the Tour d’Afrique.
I think that the number of people who take part because of the challenge (“can I ride the whole distance form Cairo to Capetown?") is approximately the same as the number op participants who have a more touristic approach and want to get to know Africa. The first group is focused on things like EFI and will ride also when they are not feeling well. The second group will skip a day of cycling more easily, or will leave the Tour for some days to visit a place of touristic importance. The one approach will not necessarily be in conflict with the other approach, and in this Tour it indeed does not: a very striking aspect of this Tour d’Afrique is that there are hardly any serious conflicts. Although there are many characters and motives to take part, we have traveled as a group to Capetown.