Our History

You could say that our history started January 15, 2003 when the first Tour d’Afrique Race /Expedition departed from Cairo with 33 cyclists all ready to spend four months cycling through Africa, but the idea for our first transcontinental tour was actually formed years before that anxious day beneath the Sphinx.

The concept of crossing the African continent by bike originated in the late 1980’s. After co-founding Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) years earlier, Henry Gold, received funding from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to study the feasibility of producing inexpensive yet rugged mountain bikes in Africa, for African conditions, as a low-cost solution to transportation needs in Africa.

In order to market the new bicycle in Africa, Henry suggested that a bicycle race across Africa be organized, in which all of the participants would use the African bikes. This idea came, in part, after Henry watched the Soviet National Cycling Team training in the mountains of Ethiopia a year earlier. The name of the bicycle race would be the Tour d’Afrique.

While the African mountain bike project still needed refinement, the concept of Tour d`Afrique took hold. Henry got together with a fellow bike enthusiast, Michael de Jong, and the two decided to create the Tour d’Afrique Race/Expedition.

It took the pair another decade before the timing proved to be right. In the true pioneering spirit, Henry and Michael went ahead with the project in 2003, amid enormous skepticism and in the face of a mountain of logistical challenges that had to be overcome for the project to be a success. With no guarantees they jumped in head first, dedicating all their time and efforts to the project, and in their spare time they were training - getting ready not only to lead the Tour, but to cycle it as well.

The first Tour d’Afrique was a huge success. After 120 days - 100 of which were spent on the bike, thirty two cyclists arrived on Melkbos Strand beach in Cape Town with Table Mountain in sight – hugging and congratulating each other, crying and drinking champagne. They were not only celebrating the crossing of the continent but also the establishment of the Guinness World Record for the fastest human powered crossing of Africa.

After the second Tour d’Afrique had been completed in 2004 and another group of satisfied riders arrived in South Africa, Michael de Jong left the company. In his place Shanny Hill and Randy Pielsticker joined the company, which by this time was quietly gaining a following.

Year three started with Randy at the helm in Africa and Henry and Shanny busy preparing to undertake the company’s second long distance adventure. Stretching from Paris to Istanbul, the Tour would be called the Orient Express Bicycle Tour. South African, Theresa Brown’s passion to explore more of her continent brought her into the fold at this point, adding a spark to the Tour d’Afrique organization.

After Randy went back to school, 2006 saw Mike Coo and Miles MacDonald join the team. Mike, a participant in the 2006 Tour d’Afrique, came back to Toronto full of memories from Africa and began running the office. Miles was the chef on that same tour and headed to Europe to help lead the Orient Express, using his expertise in planning and logistics to see it to a successful completion in Istanbul.

It was back in 2003, before the first Tour d'Afrique had even finished, that Henry and the riders were discussing the next big adventure. The route that came up time after time was the Silk Route and in 2007, that dream became a reality. With Shanny and Miles in charge, the expedition arrived in Beijing in November 2007.

Now Randy is returning from his studies to help in the planning and organization of our latest project - Vuelta Sudamericana - Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Quito, Ecuador - due to begin in July 2009.