Coronavirus: A Few Words From The Founder

 

To paraphrase a famous quote, it is not the best of times but it is also not the worst of times.

With activities around the world in slow motion, with the exception of all the busy, dedicated medical and emergency personnel all over the world, many of us are spending more time than we would like, sitting inside and looking at one screen or another. For this reason I thought it would be nice to connect with the TDA community and bring you up to date on our comings and goings.

By now you may have heard that given the circumstances, we have stopped the 2020 Tour d’Afrique in Arusha, Tanzania. It was not an easy decision to make but considering the health and safety aspects, both of the riders and the many remote communities we go through, we felt it was the right thing to do.

Many of you also know that we have rescheduled the 2020 Journey to the East trip to 2021 with some riders rebooking, some being refunded and some changing their plans and booking other trips. We have other tours planned for this year and we will be making decisions on them as the situation evolves. Currently all other tours are running as scheduled and registration is open. As all of our participants already know, we will do the utmost to achieve the best resolution under the circumstances.

I also want to mention that many of you may feel downcast and vulnerable, those of us who have lived long enough, know that every crisis comes to an end and that better days do follow. Sometimes, it takes a bit longer but eventually the sun does come up and we humans are programmed to take advantage of the new day.

What I am trying to say here, though I may not be doing a good job, is that all is well here at TDA. I hope that the same applies for our community of riders, supporters and their families. We are dealing with problems as they come up. At the same time, we have not lost our perspectives on the longer term and are not only planning to continue with our planned tours, but also looking at opportunities for new ideas – possible new “pop up” tours and alumni meetings around the world. Of course, all this must wait for the virus to be brought under control, which I feel will happen sooner or later.

In closing, I would like to suggest that if you have any ideas or suggestions about what we should be planning and doing once the travel alerts disappear, please let us know. We are always stronger and better off when we pull ideas and energies together. Be well, stay well, keep in touch and remember, soon enough we will all be back in the saddle enjoying the sun, the wind and the freedoms and enjoyment that come with cycling.