The third annual Tour d'Afrique bicycle expedition commenced on 16 January under the watchful eye of the Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt and will finish in the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, South Africa around 17 May.

Cycling through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, intrepid adventurers prove that it is possible to cross the African content by bicycle in four months via a safe a mode of transportation that will lead the way to the future of the bicycle in eco-friendly tourism.

The bicycle offers an alternative, healthy mode of transportation that brings man closer to the workings of his natural body and in return promotes a clean, safe environment.

The cyclists arrived in Lusaka on 15 April. They will be staying at Chainama hotel until Sunday 16 April before heading south towards Botswana.

On Friday 15 April a press conference and bicycle handover will be held at the Crest View Hotel, Great East Road, Lusaka. Henry Gold, founder of the Tour d'Afrique bicycle expedition donated the ten bicycles that will be given to the Mututa Memorial, a community based organization involved in the treatment of HIV/Aids patients in Lusaka and surrounds.

Engen and the South African High Commission have been hugely instrumental in facilitating the press conference and welcome party.

Engen has showed a real interest in uplifting African communities and have partly sponsored our communication team that are staging and documenting the hand over of bicycles to HIV/Aids health care workers. The Engen staff allowed us to use their offices, drove us all over town looking for bicycles and even bought us double cheeseburgers at

the Engen Wimpy. Tabard sponsored some anti-malaria roll on

canisters to the ladies of Mututa Memorial. Malaria is a deadly killer in Zambia and using the Tabard mosquito repellant will help to prevent patients from contracting this deadly disease.

After nearly three months cycling along some of Africa's toughest roads many of the cyclists are beginning to question their sanity.

They will enjoy a rest day in the bustling capital of Zambia. Lusaka started life as a dusty railway siding and the first stage of Cecil Rhodes's grand plan to build a railway from the Cape to Cairo passing through British territory. The railway never quite made it to Egypt but the main street is still called Cairo road to this day.

The three South African cyclists on board are Maarten van Dalsen, Henning de Jager and Leana Niemand. Henning had a very nasty spill and is sitting a few days on the truck as his leg infection is taking a long time to heal. Maarten is a fiece competitor and is still in second place. Leana Niemand is the only female to have cycled every single day up to this stage. She is looking very strong and is thoroughly enjoying herself.

Please contact the tour's communication team Astrid Stark and Theresa Brown at astridstark@gmail.com or teebrown@gmail.com.