The Tour de Lunsar needs your help

The biggest grassroots cycling race in west Africa has lost vital sponsorship ahead of the 2024 edition.

The Tour de Lunsar peloton ready to roll out. Image: Abdul Hamid Kanu

Welcome to Global Peloton!

It’s been a good start to the year for African cycling. Biniam Girmay won the Surf Coast Classic, Natnael Tesfatsion was second at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Henok Mulubrhan was going well at the AlUla Tour before a crash led to his abandon and several others have impressed.

At the top-level, Africa is probably in the best place the continent has ever been. This is because of the fast developing grassroots of African cycling.

One of the grassroots success stories over the past decade has been the Tour de Lunsar in Sierra Leone. I wrote about the race for writebikerepeat.com last year. It has been impressive to see how the Tour de Lunsar, founded by local bike shop owner Karim Kamara, has mobilised a community to love the bike.

The race is essential for cycling development in Sierra Leone, but more than that, it has helped to give young people purpose in a country where unemployment is high.

This year, with major sponsors pulling back due to the difficult financial climate, the Tour de Lunsar is crowdfunding to keep the race alive.

You can find out more about the Tour de Lunsar crowdfunder on their Go Fund Me page

Image: Abdul Hamid Kanu

The organisers of the crowdfunder had this to say about the campaign:

The annual Tour de Lunsar, West Africa’s biggest cycling race, has become a fixture on the racing calendar. It has given many young women and men the chance to compete in cycling and, for some, the opportunity to display their talents on the global stage.

The April 2024 event is under serious threat, given the loss of the event sponsor. Competitors have been training hard all winter, and Karim and his organising team have tirelessly worked to make the event happen.

Please would you consider a small donation to make the event happen. A small donation from you can make a big difference to the young cyclists of Sierra Leone.

Please consider donating to support this vitally important race. Find out more.

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Other news and stories

‘I Want to Create History’: Meet Henok Mulubrhan, the African Phenom on a Mission (Velo)

Thijssen and Mihkels face a final disciplinary measure for racist gesture (Cycling News)

Reduce, reuse, recycle (Team Africa Rising)

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Race Round-up

There was yet another UCI victory for Chinese sprinter Binyan Ma in Turkey at the GP Apollon Temple. (Watch out for him at the Tour of Antalya this week)

Nichol Pareja won the men’s ITT in the national championships of the Philippines. Jermyn Prado won the women’s title.

Uzbekistan’s Asal Rizaeva won the women’s race at the Apollon Temple Criterium

Ryan Gibbons became won the road race and ITT in the South African national championships. Hayley Preen won the women’s ITT and Carla Oberholzer the road race.

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