After spending two days in Lagos, the core team of the Cycle of Hope will today continue the tour through Nigeria in concert with five local cyclists.
The Nigerian Leg of the tour is expected to last eight days with Nigeria’s representative at the 2007 Tour du Senegal, Eyo Effiok, Joe Amudu, Abraham Oshindele, Adeyemi Simile and woman cyclist, Lillian Odumegwe will be leading the core team from Lagos to Ikom in Calabar, Cross River State.
The core team, which left Tangiers in Morocco on the 7th December 2009 with the plan to cycle through 17 different countries, entered the country through Seme Border after 88 days of cycling through 9 countries on Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
Before they leave Lagos, the team had a dinner with members of the state executive of the De - Renaissance Hotels in Alausa, Ikeja, where they lodged. They also had an interactive session with Lagos youth at The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) premises in Anthony, Lagos State.
President of Ambassadors in Sports (AIS), Nigeria, Moses Iloh, said the tour through Nigeria will be a memorable one.
Iloh who stressed that the funds raised will be used to build a Hope Academy in Nigeria said: “We have made plans to ensure all the people that will follow the team from Lagos to Ikom have a wonderful time. What they are doing will be of benefit to Nigeria in the development of youth in sports in the country.
“While they are within the shore of this country before moving into Cameroun, they are our guests; their welfare therefore tops our list of priorities.”
Tour to end in South Africa
Meanwhile, the tour through 17 African countries - over 15000km, is expected to end in Cape Town, South Africa on the 10th June 2010, to coincide with the start of the World Cup.
Ex-Manchester United player Lee Sharpe and Crusaders Manager Stephen Baxter are representing the Cycle for Hope - The Ultimate Cycle as its ambassadors are known. They are supporting the cycle and hoping to get many people involved as possible.
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