So they tell me, that even I have to write an update before I go home, which was supposed to have been two days ago. But having suggested that we change the route to Moyale and not having seen the route before, I thought I should delay my departure and see how my suggestion went. And it is a good thing that I did. The route, as expected, is beautiful; the scenery is stunning and the road is mostly paved. Great climbs, even greater descents. What has not changed is the basic conditions, or rather the challenge, of the Tour d’Afrique. Until yesterday morning, the 2008 Tour encountered few problems. Things have been running smoothly and no unexpected issues popped out. Yesterday, 1km before a turnoff to a viewing point of a volcanic lake, one of our riders ran into a little girl. The rider took a bad spill and was unable to get back onto her bicycle. The little girl seemed to have been fine and was taken home by her parents. At first the locals were helping our injured cyclist but soon demands for compensation started coming, and a bigger crowd gathered. With communication being a major problem, pleasantries from the crowd turned to anger and tension grew. By the time I happened to arrive on the scene some of the young men had huge rocks in their hands, but somehow we managed to keep things from getting out of control. A quick trip to nearby police station and a small donation to the parents resolved what could have been a bad scene. But the day was not over. Late in the day, I decided to take out our truck and see how the last few riders on the road are doing. That is when I came upon one of riders surrounded by a crowd—all of them helping the rider. The rider was attacked by a psychopath, who tried to take a camera. The attack was violent; the rider dropped the camera and the attacker ran with the camera. He did not run far. Witnesses ran after him and managed to retrieve the camera. A quick police investigation identified the attacker. The rider, though shaken and in pain, was in high spirits by dinner time and no serious harm was done. The incidences reminded everyone that the Tour d’Afrique is still an expedition and a tough one. Unexpected situations can happen within a second and we all need to be vigilant and supportive. I now see the line for steaks that Miles has prepared (can the former TDA riders believe this…steak for dinner) so I better finish this now.

This is the story of the last few days of riding in luscious Tanzania. And for those who thought that after northern Kenya the rough roads and difficult terrain is over, have had to physically and mentally readjust. One day out of Iringa and the end of Snows of Kilimanjaro section, Randy the Tour leader is reporting that in spite of the mud and the heavy rains and some tough going, the Tour is on schedule and all is well. Well perhaps not all. There has been several falls and few scrapes but nothing serious. Tomorrow is a fairly easy ride of 75km and after seven days of riding the riders will have a well deserved rest and the end of off road riding – until Namibia.

On Sunday 15 May cyclists set their bicycles down for the last time in sheer exhaustion mixed with relief and laugher after being on the road for four months and completing nearly 12 000 kilometers by bicycle across the African continent. The third annual Tour d'Afrique bicycle expedition commenced on the 15th of January under the watchful eye of the Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt and finished in the beautiful cosmopolitan city of Cape Town at the Mouille Point Light House on 15 May. Despite two broken collar-bones, a hip, some fingers, stitches, scratches, bruises, dehydration, exhaustion and progressive bouts of insanity, more than 40 intrepid adventurers cycled through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa without too much damage to their bicycles and their cycle worn bodies. Thereby proving that Africa should no longer be referred to as the dreaded 'dark continent'. But, that it is time to open up Mama Africa to everyone bold enough to fly into the face of reason and allow themselves to become immersed in her bounty. Cyclists from diverse countries such as the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland and Belgium bravely tackled the route from Cairo to Cape Town that took them across some of the harshest but also some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Africa. But the Tour is far more than just a leisurely cycle. For many it was a daily race against foreign and challenging elements, themselves and of course – each other. The official 2005 race results are: Women: 1. Francziska Morger – Switzerland, 2. Leana Niemand – South Africa, 3. Hannie Bazuin – The Netherlands. Christine Rousseu – Canada (An honorary mention due to her hard-headed persistence and determination) Men: 1. Kim Bremer – Denmark, 2. Maarten van Dalsen – South Africa, 3. Stefan Tobler – Switzerland. Leana Niemand from Cape Town has also set a record by becoming the first ever woman on tour to receive EFI status. This means that with her whispery thin body and sheer determination she managed to cycle every single inch of the road from Cairo to Cape Town without missing a single day, hour or stretch of the road despite injury and exhaustion. But, to single out any one rider is unfair as everyone on this journey, brave or insane enough, to suffer through the unpredictable weather, roads and constant physical ailments that plagued them is a hero and many shattered their own mental and physical barriers. The mundane daily stresses dissolve into oblivion after completing a feat of such intensity and it is with a much bolder step that we hurl ourselves into the next phase of our lives – whatever that may be. But the tour also aims at promoting the bicycle as an alternative, healthy mode of transportation that brings man closer to the workings of his natural body and in return promotes a sustainable environment. In collaboration between the Tour d'Afrique, the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN), the ITDP and Engen, bicycles were distributed to health care workers all along the route of the tour. Engen is displaying a real interest in uplifting African communities and has largely sponsored the tour's communication team, Theresa Brown and Astrid Stark. Astrid and Theresa staged and documented the hand over of bicycles to HIV/Aids health care workers in various East African countries. It was with great pleasure that we were witness to the joy of these health care workers as they received their bicycles. Whilst we are gallivanting all over their continent seeking pleasure and adventure they use the humble bicycle to ease their daily struggle. It is therefore that we have to say Asante Sana to the grandfather and founder of the Tour d'Afrique, Henry Gold, for concocting this incredible adventure and thereby freeing our minds and breaking borders. Taking responsibility for a group of 'Friques cycling across one of the most controversial continents is no small feat but one made easier with the help of his henchman, Chief Randy Pielsticker - tour leader, shepherd and eternal optimist, Colin Biggins – race director and bicycle addict and of course Shanny back at the office in Toronto scratching his head at our crazy ideas and keeping this little spaceship afloat. And our darling nurse Eddie for getting the lunch rations down to a fine art whilst listening to our gripes and inspecting saddle sores, gaping wounds and dishing out copious amounts of drugs. The African Routes staff mastered the art of patience by spending days digging Sweetness out of the mud and hunting for water in barren countries. We almost always had enough to eat and water to drink. Without getting the basics sorted this adventure would become a logistical nightmare. And so we say goodbye to everyone that took part in the Tour d'Afrique 2005 with no small amount of melancholy and sadness. As much as this is an individual experience it is also one shared with a group of fellow maniacs and no person remains untouched by the enormity of the adventure. We will forever remember the trip of 'Friques with its blacktops, big African skies, sunshine and 'pap'. Kwa heri ya kuonana Goodbye until next time

I had two conversations today with Ethiopia. First Randy called and brought me up to date on the latest injury. Mathew Rider from UK rode a bit to fast through a town couple of days ago and hit a pedestrian. The pedestrian is fine; Mathew is by now in Nairobi trying to recuperate and hopefully will be able to join the ride once we get there. Yesterday was a rest day in Yabelo. Yabelo is a small town two days ride from the border. There is not much to do but to rest, take care of the bike and wash your clothes. Not far however is a small reserve and some of the riders went for a visit. Apparently they did see some dik diks and other gazelles as well as several zebras. Later on Colin called and added that the ride is going well except for the injuries and all are in fine spirit. Tomorrow they have a fairly easy day to the border and then they will face another challenge – the Dildila Galgalu Desert and volcanic “road”, once described in an email as “imagine yourself riding on a railroad trucks”.

It is with deep regret that I would like to inform the Tour d'Afrique community and visitors to our web site that Alfons Zehnder, a Swiss participant in the Tour d'Afrique 2005 passed away yesterday on Monday February 14 th at 11AM in the town of Gedaref, Sudan. Alfons , an accomplished climber, was a strong biker and biked every day on the tour. Yesterday morning he thought that it was time to relax and decided to spend the time in the truck. The truck stopped at a lunch spot where Alfons and others had an early lunch. On the way to Gedaref, our destination for the day, Alfons fell asleep; never to wake again. Our staff made tremendous efforts to revive him once they realized that he was unwell. Unfortunately neither their efforts nor the hospital to which he was brought was successful in reviving him. The cause of death appears to be a heart attack. On behalf of all the Tour d'Afrique family I would like to offer our condolence to Alfons' family. Alfons Zehnder memorial

Over the weekend we received two short messages from Randy the Tour leader. The bikers arrived in Dongola, the capital of the North of Sudan on Friday - after compressing five days of biking on very difficult terrain into four and thus reducing the number of days of being behind schedule to three. In order to appreciate this enormous achievement here is a quote from David Houghton's web site - which he managed to update from Dongola on Saturday. Hell Nothing can prepare you for the roads in Sudan. In fact, to call them roads is a disservice to roads everywhere. They are ruts, trails, tracks, but they bear no relation to roads. First, there is the sand. Sand so deep your rims disappear into it and it drags your bike to a sudden stop. Then there are the rocks. Not nice, rounded river rocks but angry, pointed rocks of every size that have been biding their time for centuries, just waiting for a bicycle tire to come along so they can shred it. Then there is the washboard. The roads have eroded to an endless series of bumps that rattle the bike, rattle your bones, rattle your brain until you want to get off the bike and scream at the faceless desert. Then there is the heat. In the open desert it has approached 40 degrees for the past four days we've been riding. Any one of these elements on their own would be bearable. All of them at once, for six or eight hours, are excruciating. How bad are the roads in Sudan? Every rider in the group agrees this is the toughest cycling they have ever faced. In our first four days here, six riders have gotten off their bikes and stepped onto the truck. It's that bad. On Sunday there was another message. After a day of rest they are off to Khartoum. All is well and once again they are going to attempt to bike what was scheduled to take them five days into four. What a group.

After the incredible and still puzzling treatment by the Egyptian authorities in Abu Simbel we received the following short email from Abu Simbel, We've finally arrived in Sudan!! We left Aswan on January 29th at roughly 3pm and went by Abu Simbel at around 5pm yesterday (the 30th). Last night at around 7pm, the Egyptians visited us again at the border (although by my GPS, we were well within Sudanese territory) and took our passports and forced us to sleep on the boat again. At around 7am this morning, they returned them and we got in to Wadi Halfa at around 10am (maybe 11am). Customs went fairly well (Randy had to stay extra for Ewald's truck) but we were in the stadium by 2pm. Medhat our (Sudanese contact) and Abdul Baghi our man from the Minstry of Tourism) are here and I think everybody is in a really good mood because the Sudanese have been their usual incredibly friendly selves and we've all been invited to a wedding tonight that is happening just outside the soccer stadium. We'll be leaving early tomorrow for a long riding day... our first in a while. Colin in Wadi Halfa Sudan January 31st. We also received a phone message yesterday February 1sr from Randy that they have done their first day of biking in Sudan and all is well. They hope now to do the distance from Wadi Halfa to Dongola in four days instead of five in order to try to get back on schedule. Henry back in Toronto.

After the incredible and still puzzling treatment by the Egyptian authorities in Abu Simbel we received the following short email from Abu Simbel, We've finally arrived in Sudan!! We left Aswan on January 29th at roughly 3pm and went by Abu Simbel at around 5pm yesterday (the 30th). Last night at around 7pm, the Egyptians visited us again at the border (although by my GPS, we were well within Sudanese territory) and took our passports and forced us to sleep on the boat again. At around 7am this morning, they returned them and we got in to Wadi Halfa at around 10am (maybe 11am). Customs went fairly well (Randy had to stay extra for Ewald's truck) but we were in the stadium by 2pm. Medhat our (Sudanese contact) and Abdul Baghi our man from the Minstry of Tourism) are here and I think everybody is in a really good mood because the Sudanese have been their usual incredibly friendly selves and we've all been invited to a wedding tonight that is happening just outside the soccer stadium. We'll be leaving early tomorrow for a long riding day... our first in a while. Colin in Wadi Halfa Sudan January 31st. We also received a phone message yesterday February 1sr from Randy that they have done their first day of biking in Sudan and all is well. They hope now to do the distance from Wadi Halfa to Dongola in four days instead of five in order to try to get back on schedule. Henry back in Toronto.

The Tour arrived right on schedule in the southernmost town of Abu Simbel on Wednesday. Yesterday the bikers had a day off to enjoy the Ramsey's fabulous temple and today they were to depart for Sudan on a chartered boat. Unfortunately due to reasons unknown to us the Egyptian Security channels did not allow us to board the boat and are forcing us to take the busses back to Aswan and board the boat there on Saturday morning. On the surface this decision is hard to understand as we were not given any reasons for the change and especially as the boat will take exactly the same route once it reaches Abu Simbel - except now it will take us about 28 hours on the boat instead of the eight. The additional time is needed to cover the distance from Aswan to Abu Simbel in a very slow barge. This of course will create a problem with the schedule but we hope to gain some of the time as we bike across the continent. In any case for any of the sectional riders that are joining the tour at different stages, I will be in touch with you and update you as things progress.

The Third annual Tour d'Afrique is only five days old but this group like the two previous have already found out what makes this tour so unique. It all began on the first day. After the obligatory roaming and picture taking in front of the Sphinx we were off. For the first 20km the group was to bike together with police escort and police stationed along the way until a crucial turn, after which the race was to begin. It all seemed to have worked as planned except that at half point where we set up refreshment, 45 minutes after the last rider has passed there was still no sign of two riders. It was time to go back and see what happened. My suspicion was that they missed the crucial turn off on the outskirt of Cairo and continued on the more Northern route to the Red Sea - route that is older, longer and much busier. Unfortunately my suspicion turned out to be correct. With all the police support, once the main group of bikers have passed, the police immediately packed it in, and our two riders were on their own in the busy Cairo Ring Road. The second day appeared to be simple. Follow the road for 135 km until you reach a turnoff to St. Paul Monastery and then a bit further on the road will be our campsite. Unfortunately the distances provided by our Egyptian support and the police were not accurate and in addition some of the riders interpreted that they were to turn towards the Monastery. End result, a 200km biking day and a visit to a lovely monastery - where they were offered free room and board for the night - which was politely turned down. The third day was going smoothly. At lunch stop 65km from the start all riders have come and gone when I received a phone call that the police wants us to camp another 25 km further down the road. I will not bore you with the details of the heated discussion, suffice to say that the day did end at 135km. Day four more excitement, one of our riders crushes and requires a few stitches, another is chipped by a truck and ends up in the ditch. Fortunately the biker and the bike are not harmed. And now as I write this the riders have said goodbye to the beautiful Red Sea and are biking due west towards the Nile. Today is a tough day. It begins with a 40km climb, facing westerly wind and camping in the desert. Tomorrow they will reach the famed Luxor and the next day a well deserved rest day.