Four cyclists, two coaches, one cycling representative and a head of the delegation on Monday morning left Banjul for Lagos for the second ECOWAS International Cycling Tour across five countries.
The Gambian delegation comprises Pa Suwareh Faye of the (DOSYS) as head, and Edrisa Sah, a cycling representative.
The cyclists are Buba Jobe, Musa Fatty, Sulayman Colley and Amadou Bah. Modou Njie is the head coach assisted by Kalilu Sanneh.
Two hundred and fifty cyclists from the 15-member nations of ECOWAS will take part in the second ECOWAS International Cycling Tour, according to Edrisa Sah, assistant secretary general of the Gambia Cycling Association.
The tour will take off in Lagos, on 15 February to Benin, Ghana, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, ending on 19 February, an ECOWAS statement has revealed.
The tour will be in four stages: Lagos-Cotonou; Cotonou-Lome; Ada-Accra and Abuaso-Abidjan. Also, prizes and trophies will be awarded to winners at the various stages of the race.
The overall tour winner, the team standing, the fastest cyclist and the best young cyclist will also be rewarded.
According to the statement, there will be three motorised transfers in the course of the race, indicating that each of the 15-member nations will be expected to field in a team of six cyclists and five officials.
The Gambia Cycling Association has made agreement that if additional funds are raised a cycling representative and two other cyclists will join the team before the tour kicks off on Wednesday.
In addition, ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSCD) said the tour was initiated by ECOWAS heads of state to further the ECOWAS ideals of regional integration and free movement of persons as a tool to actualise the ECOWAS Vision 2020 of transforming from an ECOWAS of states to an ECOWAS of people.
