No less than 1000 cyclists are expected to take part in the second edition of the "GAT Bike Challenge", which will be held on Sunday between the archaeological site Thuburbo Majus and the city of El Fahs.
During a press conference held on Friday at the headquarters of GAT Assurances, in the presence of representatives of the Tunisian cycling federation, the organisers specified that the race will be held over four stages, the first of which will be 80 km long, the second 40 km, the third 30 km reserved for mountain bikes and the fourth 20 km reserved for all types of bikes.
"This event will be an opportunity for cycling and nature lovers to practice their favourite sport and to discover the charm of the third main Tunisian archaeological site," the organising committee said.
The race will have a sporting dimension through prizes that will be awarded to the winners of each race, and a social dimension by donating the proceeds from this event to associations active in the water sector, with a view to providing drinking water to the inhabitants of El Fahs, and by setting up a space for the sale of products created by the women of the region.
On the ecological side, the organisers will use this race to encourage the use of bicycles as a means of transport in order to limit CO2 emissions and to call for the preservation of nature by collecting plastic bottles for a recycling company.
Concerning the cultural and family aspect, participants will discover the civilisational and archaeological heritage of the region and take advantage of the entertainment and relaxation areas reserved for families, the organisers added.
In a statement to TAP, Skander Harizi, member of the organising committee, said that the number of registrants so far has reached 1,000 participants including 240 licensed, adding that the mountain bike race alone will bring together 300 riders.
For his part, President of the Tunisian Cycling Federation, Naoufel Marchaoui, stressed that this event represents an opportunity to promote the sport of cycling and to discover a high-level race in view of the large number of participants.
He welcomed the partnership with GAT Assurances for the organisation of this Challenge, stressing that the development of individual sports can only be done in partnership with the private service, given the limited budget of the federation and the limited support of the supervisory authority, revealing that this partnership will continue with the same company for the revival of the International Tour of Tunis.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse