The organisation committee held its third preparatory meeting last Wednesday.

With barely three weeks to go to the 5th edition of the Grand Cycling Tour of Cameroon, officials of the Cameroon Cycling Federation are stepping up preparations to make sure the race goes on free hitch free this year. Officials of the Cameroon Cycling Federation, FECACYCLISME last Wednesday held the third preparatory meeting for the race which was extended to include representatives of some ministries and partners of the federation.

Speaking during the meeting, the first vice president of FECACYCLISME, Fabien Ateba Koungou, disclosed that the race this year will be placed under the patronage of the president of the republic. So far he said sixteen countries outside Cameroon have confirmed their participation in the race including France, Holland, Belgium and Japan. On the African continent, countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville and Mali have already confirmed their participation and that the confirmation of countries like Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Ghana, morocco and Niger was still awaited.

On the level of preparations, it was revealed that the military has offered to give planes to the federation to transport cyclists for the trip up north and that the Cameroon railway corporation and some hotels have been contacted so as to give preferential rates to members of the tour delegation. The forces of law and order have equally been contacted to ensure security along the race track and the technical committee is to go down to the field in the days ahead to judge the state of the itinerary of the race. All is set for the beginning of the race but for the disbursement of funds by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, estimated at some 316 million francs by official of the cycling federation.

The 12-day race to be run on a total distance of 1500 kilometres including hilly, undulating and level land, will begin on February 24 in Maroua and the kick off will be given by the Minister of sports and physical Education, Augutin Thierry Edjoa.