Continental Cycling Expidition Crosses South America

Tour d’Afrique Ltd, creators, pioneers and organizers of world-renowned trans-continental bicycle odysseys across Africa, Europe and Asia are gearing up once again to make bicycle history – this time in South America. 

Vuelta Sudamericana is the name of the company’s newest bicycle epic. It will travel 12,000 kms through 7 South American countries and will be the worlds’ longest and most challenging bicycle expedition ever attempted.

Starting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 26th July 2009 and finishing in Quito, Ecuador on 6th December 2009, Vuelta Sudamericana is the fourth bicycle event in an exciting new category that the company is pioneering – Trans Continental Bicycle Races and Expeditions. 

The company’s other three world-renowned annual events are Tour d’Afrique (11 700 km from Cairo to Cape Town) Orient Express (4000 km from Paris to Istanbul) and Silk Route (11 000 km from Istanbul to Beijing)

“The sheer magnitude of our events provides a unique experience for both amateur racers and expedition cyclists and continues to push the perceived limits of long distance, organized adventure cycling.” said company founder and environmental activist, Henry Gold. “Participants come from all walks of life and share one thing; a passion for cycling. Traveling by bike allows you to smell strange and wonderful new foods cooking as you roll through a village, feel the temperature drop as you relentlessly climb to the top of a mountain pass and observe the changes in culture and vegetation as you cycle across the landscape. It is these experiences that create the Zen of long distance adventure cycling.”

Vuelta Sudamericana will begin in Brazil and continue south through Argentina and Uruguay, then west into Chile and north to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador passing through several national capitals.

Riders will visit Iguazu Falls, Mount Aconcagua, the Atacama Desert, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu. They will cycle along the coasts of both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans and will face the Andes in between. 

Inevitably, this race/expedition will provide a complete range of cycling conditions: extreme temperatures, mountain passes over 4,200m, open desert crossings, dense jungles and every conceivable road surface.

“The goal of this expedition is not to travel the most efficient line between opposite ends of a continent, but to explore the incredible diversity of South America by bike.” said Tour Director, Randy Pielsticker, who will be leading the expedition. “Meandering across the landscape and linking a variety of cultural and wilderness destinations, it has been designed to follow the most favorable patterns of wind, heat, precipitation and daylight.”

Vuelta Sudamericana features approximately 110 cycling days, averaging 110 km each day (68.4 miles), as well as 23 rest days. It is divided into 9 sections thus accommodating cyclists who are unable to do the entire expedition in one go. Support trucks transport the gear and equipment and an experienced crew sets up camp each night and prepares four meals a day.

Registration for Vuelta Sudamericana is now open. Register on line at www.tourdafrique.com

All Tour d’Afrique expeditions are open to any person over the age 18 who has undertaken a medical examination to ensure that they are physically capable of participating in the 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.