The maiden edition of the Accra Midyear Cycling event is scheduled for June 11–12 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The event, organized by Blackdery Snacktime in collaboration with the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF), the Mountain Bike Association of Ghana and Decathlon, dubbed “Every Cyclist Deserves a Medal,” is aimed at promoting Mountain Bike (MTB) racing in Ghana.
The two-day event would feature a 20-kilometre fun ride on June 11 from Decathlon Kawukudi to the Accra Sports Stadium.
On Sunday June 12,the more competitive MTB Criterium race of 45km for adults (men and women) and 15km for children between ages 11 to 15 will be held.
Speaking ahead of the event, Founder of Blackdery Snacktime and organizer of the race, Charles Dery said over 200 medals would be presented to participants of the fun event while distinguished cyclists would receive cash prizes and medals at the competitive event on June 12.
Registration for the fun event he said, was free as “we intend to have everyone on board to promote MTB in Ghana and also encourage people to ride as a form of exercise,” he stated.
He added that, the fun ride would be used to register and present race numbers to participants of the main event the next day.
“We are committed to arousing the interest of mountain bike riding in Ghana as most of the races and competitions are for road bikes,” he stressed.
He said, people should not only ride on professional basis but consider the health and environmental benefits associated with cycling.
“Everyone deserves a medal. You don’t have to be a champion before winning a medal. As long as one can take a bike and engage in riding, they deserve a medal for participating because they are contributing to saving the environment and promoting healthy living among Ghanaians,” he added.
He said they were looking forward to a successful event in June as they had already begun preparations for a bigger event next year.