About the Tour
Embark on the adventure of a lifetime from Cairo to Capetown
In January 2009, in the gentle mist of the African dawn, a group of intrepid and strong-willed men and women will begin a journey of both body and soul as they pedal their way through an epic adventure like no other.
Welcome to the 7th annual Tour d'Afrique, an 11,800 km (7,375 mile) bicycle race/expedition across the world's most exotic and alluring continent.
The Cairo to Cape Town route will challenge you physically and mentally like no other - and reward you as you have never been rewarded before, with scenes of unsurpassed splendor and an incomparable feeling of accomplishment.
The mandate is threefold: first, to create a unique athletic event for both amateurs and professionals; second, to foster international goodwill; and third, raise funds for environmental protection and promote bicycles use in Africa.
Facts and Figures
The program features 96 cycling days or stages, averaging 123 km (77 miles) each, broken up by 22 rest days and 2 days of travel for a total of 120 days in Africa. On every cycling day, Tour d'Afrique's support trucks will collect your equipment and travel ahead to set up camp.
Traveling through 10 countries in all, you will cycle along the Nile past ancient temples, across the rugged biblical landscape of Ethiopia's Simian Mountains, and through game reserves teeming with wildlife. After crossing the Equator in Kenya, you will pedal past legendary Mount Kilimanjaro, to Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls, and along the edges of the magnificent Kalahari and Namib deserts, en route to the finish of your epic journey in Cape Town. (See Route)
Participation and Eligibility
There are three types of participants:
- Racers: open to individuals who plan to race all the way.
- Expedition riders: will cover the distance at their own pace.
- Sectional riders: will ride a section of the trip.
The Tour d'Afrique race and expedition are open to individuals age 18 and older who have undertaken a medical examination to ensure that they are physically capable of partaking in this journey. Individuals under 18 must provide release from their legal guardian in order to partake, and no one under the age of 16 years is eligible.
Trials and Tribulations
Racers will start each day's stage at the signal of the race director. The pace is fast, and conditions vary greatly, as racers contest every day of the 96 tour stages. This epic race requires unique equipment, intense motivation, and the constant struggle to keep yourself and your equipment in top working order.
Everyone who completes the Tour d'Afrique will savor the triumph of conquering the longest and most difficult bike race and expedition in history. Some riders will also seek additional classification such as reaching EFI status, winning a stage, winning a section or country, or winning the entire tour in either the men's or women's category. Commemorative festivities and celebrations, special medals and prizes await victorious cyclists. We look forward to celebrating with you.
Entry Fees - 2009
Please note that the 2009 entry fee is in Euros, not US dollars.
The entry fee does not include your airfare to and from Africa, health and travel insurance, visas, vaccinations, and incidental costs incurred on your rest days. The Entry Fee is in addition to the registration fee.
- Certified check, money order or bank draft made payable to: Tour d’Afrique Ltd.
- Bank wire transfer- our bank account details can be found in your registration kit
- Entry Fee cannot be paid with a credit card, we apologize for the inconvenience
| Section |
Distance |
Start |
End |
Entry Fee |
| Full Tour |
Cairo to Cape Town |
11777 |
January 10 |
May 9 |
€7,900 |
| Pharoah's Delight |
Cairo to Khartoum |
1,973 |
January 10 |
January 29 |
€2,050 |
| The Gorge |
Khartoum to Addis Ababa |
1,467 |
January 31 |
February 14 |
€1,300 |
| Meltdown Madness |
Addis Ababa to Nairobi |
1,671 |
February 16 |
March 6 |
€1,600 |
| The Maasai Step |
Nairobi to Iringa |
980 |
March 8 |
March 19 |
€900 |
| Malawi Gin |
Iringa to Lilongwe |
1,205 |
March 21 |
March 31 |
€900 |
| Zambezi Zone |
Lilongwe to Victoria Falls |
1,214 |
April 2 |
April 10 |
€800 |
| Elephant Highway |
Victoria Falls to Windhoek |
1,547 |
April 13 |
April 23 |
€1,000 |
| Diamond Coast |
Windhoek to Cape Town |
1,720 |
April 25 |
May 9 |
€1,200 |
Discounts
Euro 400 early payment discount for the full Tour if payment is received in full on or before June 1, 2008
There is a 10% discount for doing two or more sections. This does not apply to full tour riders.
Former Tour d'Afrique/Orient Express/Silk Route riders will receive a 5% discount.
Riders completing two full TDA Expeditions in the same calendar year will receive a 10% discount on the entry fee for both tours. Riders completing 3 full TDA Expeditions in the same calendar year will receive a 15% discount on the entry fee for all three tours.
Group and student discounts also available – click here for further details