Fred Vubem
7 April 2008
Several setbacks observed in transportation, lodging and feeding.
The 6th edition of the international cycling tour of Cameroon would have gone down the annals of history as the best so far but for some organisational lapses that somehow tainted the event. From transportation to lodging passing through feeding and honouring financial commitments, a lot of hitches affected the smooth organisation of the race.
However the worst hit department was transportation. The race had to begin a day after schedule due to the late arrival of some cyclists and their bicycles in Maroua. Many cyclists complained of spending too more time in cars than on their bicycles which they say was very tiring and affected their performance in the race. Vehicles hired to join the race caravan were not given enough fuel, causing the vehicles to run out of fuel along the course. Some of the vehicles were not in good shape and had mechanical problems along the way. Motor bike riders in the Far North province had to stage a strike in order to receive payment for services rendered. The same story is true for vehicle drivers, who had to pressure organisers and threatened to abandon the tour, before they could be given their dues.
The difficulties in transportation also affected lodging. But for the first day of the competition when members of the race caravan were lodged on time, it took long hours of negotiation for the rest of the tour before people could find a place to sleep. In Douala, people were found negotiating for lodging as late as 2.am due to the lateness in the departure of the race caravan from Koutaba as a result of the late arrival of the vehicle that transported bicycles from Ngaoundere. This, because the official in charge of lodging moved along with the race caravan instead of moving ahead to arrange for lodging before the arrival of the caravan.
Some delegations complained of poor lodging as they lodged in hotels without water or full of mosquitoes. The head of the Senegalese delegation fell sick after having been beaten by mosquitoes in his hotel room in Garoua. In Bafoussam, some members of the caravan were blocked in their hotel until organisers turned up to settle the bills.
In the three Northern provinces, the feeding was poor. After the first lap of the race from Mokong to Mokolo and back to Maroua, cyclists were invited to a meal in a restaurant that never was. When the caravan arrived at the dinner venue, they found the official in charge of feeding busy packing her things to leave for Garoua which greatly annoyed the cyclists who were hungry after the energy spent in the race.
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