By Brian Hoeniger
(tourdafrique) As many of you know the 2014 TDA will be skipping Egypt due to that country’s current insecurity, and extending our rides through Sudan and Ethiopia instead.
The new route through the northern Ethiopian tablelands, from Gondar to Bahir Dar via the Simien Mountains, Axum and Lalibela, will be particularly challenging and rewarding for the participants. This 10 stage 1050 km long stretch features almost 19000 meters of climbing and descent on by and large rough unpaved roads. One of the new stages will require over 2600 meters of climbing, a new record for the TDA, and on another we’ll be as high as 3250 meters, another TDA record. As such it will be a mountain biker’s paradise and a serious physical and mental test for any cyclist. Read more …