An extraordinary bike route through a wild and breathtaking region of the Western Sahara, sand, dunes, rocks, large areas covered by fossils… enjoying the hospitality of the Sahrawi people and the wealth of Bedouin culture. A journey of solidarity to understand the complex life of the Sahrawi people in the refugee camps, live in their jaimas (tents) and share their culture.
SMASH THE WALL
The Wall, made up of sand and stone, barbed wire, ditches and mine fields, is more than 2000 km. long and separates the Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation and the Liberated Territories under the POLISARIO Front control. The route goes along the wall, known as the Wall of Shame.
The destination of the journey, close to the wall, is Tifariti, where a lot of battles were fought between both armies, until POLISARIO took it.
The Sahrawi Government is developing some political and social actions aimed to make of the symbolic Tifariti the capital of the Liberated Territories. A lot of infrastructures have been built: a hospital, a school, the Parliament and the Solidarity District.
It is a beautiful and changing landscape, from desert to small hills, rocks of impressive shape and size, and land covered by flowers and mushrooms during the rainy season. In the past it was an African savanna, as it is proveed by the cave paintings preserved in the Archaeological Park of Erqueyez.
The Association of Friendship and Solidarity with the Sahrawi People of Seville and the Secretariat for Youth and Sport of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) organize the second Edition of the "Sahara Bike Race", an event of culture, sport and solidarity aimed to intended to give visibility and denounce the wall built by Morocco during the 1980s, which separates the Western Sahara Occupied Territories from the Liberated Territories under the POLISARIO control.
From March the 26th to April 4th 2010 the Sahara Bike Race cyclists will ride along the Wall of Shame for 350 km. in the Western Sahara desert. During this week, they will share the complex life of the Sahrawi people in the refugee camps, live in their jaimas (tents) and understand their difficult situation, which has not defeated their optimism and hope.
THE TRAVEL
The group will leave from the airport of Seville and arrive in Tindouf refugee camps, in the wilaya of El Aaiún. The charter flight of Air Algery Company will take off at night.
THE RACE
The first leg of the journey is from El Aaiún to Smara in the refugee Camps, and the final destination is Tifariti (in the Liberated Territories). The route is divided into legs which are about 30 – 50 km. long. The group of cyclists will also have time for cultural visits, shopping in the Smara zoco (market), meetings with the Sahrawi authorities, and once in the desert of the Liberated Territories they will meet the Bedouins will visit the Archaeological Park of Erqueyez.
SCHEDULE
Friday 26th (evening): Departure from the airport of Seville
Saturday 27th (afternoon): 1st leg El Aaiún - Smara
Sunday 28th: 2nd leg Smara- Bir Lehlu
Monday 29th – Thursday 1st of April: 3rd – 5th leg The Wall - Tifariti
Friday 2nd: Visit of the Archaeological Park of "Erqueyez" and ARTifariti
Saturday 3rd: Return to Rabuni by 4 x 4. Spare afternoon in the Refugee Camps. Departure from the airport of Tindouf at 11 pm.
Sunday 4th: Arrival in Seville at 8 am (aprox)
PRICE
900€ (max. depending on the flight ticket) and it includes:
-charter flight,
-transport for the participants,
-transport of the bike,
-food and accomodation,
-vehicles for accompaniment transportation service,
-logistic team,
-mechanic,
-medical service during the race,
-information dossier,
-official t-shirt,
-travel insurance,
-visa.
Information and registration:
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