Tour d'Afrique

Somerville, Mass - You have heard of the Tour de France, right? Well, let me introduce you to the Tour d'Afrique, the latest - and definitely the craziest - adventure that I have gotten myself into.
This biking expedition goes from Cairo to Cape Town - that's 11,800km from north to south along the east coast of Africa. Some people actually do the whole thing (yes, insane people), which crosses 10 countries in about four months. But for the slightly less insane, the route is divided into eight legs. That's where I come in...
Tony Wheeler, the co-founder of Lonely Planet, is sponsoring two LP relay teams for this incredible event. The teams are made up of writers, photographers and staffers, as well as Tony himself. Somehow, I was selected to participate. So next April, I will be pedalling 1500km across Botswana and Namibia. My section of the route is called the Elephant Highway, as Botswana is home to one of the world's largest populations of African elephants. I wonder if I can outride an elephant...?
If 1500km over the course of 11 days seems like a lot of riding to you... well, welcome to the club. This is one of the longest sections of the Tour d'Afrique and it is certainly farther than I have ever ridden my bike before. A century - 100 miles - is a sort of biking milestone. Personally, I have never ridden a century in my life; but in April I will be riding them back-to-back!
When I got the news that I was selected for the team, I immediately ordered the Lonely Planet guide to Botswana & Namibia. Here is what it says under the section about Getting Around by bike:
Botswana and Namibia are largely flat - and that's about the only concession they make to cyclists. Unless you're an experienced cyclist and equipped for extreme conditions, abandon any ideas you may have about a bicycle adventure. Distances are great and horizons are vast; the climate and landscapes are hot and dry; and even along major routes, water is scarce and villages are widely spaced.... And cyclists may encouner potentially dangeous wildlife while travelling along any highway or road.
Sounds perfect, right?
The good news is that this section of the TDA is mostly paved and it is very flat. So at least I have that going for me. And honestly, all those minor details like water and such will be taken care of by the TDA support staff.
All I have to do is whip this body into shape so that I can handle the mileage. So you can see what I will be doing over the next seven months... If anyone wants to go for a bikeride, give me a call!
Photos courtesy of Tour d'Afrique, Ltd.