Tour D'Afrique 2008...

[Christian P.]

who needs a Unimog? just take your bike...



http://www.tourdafrique.com

http://www.tourdafrique.com/tourdafrique/index.html

and I thought my 4 days race in Costa Rica was crazy....

 

[DaveInDenver]

I was reading the excerpts from David Houghton's book 'The EFI Club' in this month's Bike Magazine. Sounds seriously core. BTW, E.F.I. is an award in the Tour d’Afrique given to anyone who completes the race riding every f#$king inch (i.e. E.F.I.) without giving up due to illness, mechanical or locals throwing rocks. Does make our little 3 day, 100 mile and 24 Hours races and rides seem silly.

 

[Christophe Noel]

My cycling team has a race fee re-imbursement program. Think they'd spring for $9900? Ya....nope.

Seriously, for $9900 I could enter a dozen seasons worth of races. Wow.

I am a little corn-fused. Is it a race or a tour?

 

[DaveInDenver]

My cycling team has a race fee re-imbursement program. Think they'd spring for $9900? Ya....nope.

Seriously, for $9900 I could enter a dozen seasons worth of races. Wow.

I am a little corn-fused. Is it a race or a tour?

It is a stage race in the same way the Tour or Giro is a race. Someone will finish first and they are the overall winner. There are also stage winners on each of the 96 stages. But being that it's round about a 4 month race, it's really an endurance thing to see who is the last man standing. But of all the people who start and finish, someone will be the winner. It seems to be different than other races in that once you drop out (say by taking a SAG on a stage) I think you can keep riding it as a tour.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I figured it was staged, but the brief read through of the site sure made it seem pretty much like a tour. I'm a great stage racer! Of course I'd have to tweak my stage race fitness from 3 days to 96. Piece of cake. Toss some 32c 'cross tires on my TT bike and I'm set!