…::: East African Tour (EAT) 2012 :::…
Takashi designs proudly presents to you the winner tour 2012: EAT 2012! Or as Mr. Al Yankovic already told us prophetically in 1984 (not the book!): “EAT it!”. The tour won’t be one of the common “yeah the climbers will have fun and leave some stages to the sprinters” tour. No, with the help of the Japanese artist and the undeniable genius of the Team FL management, as well as some help by Hugo Marxer (rumour has it), a very balanced December tour can be presented in a region that is full of natural wonders, friendly and excitet people and of course lots of mosquitoes.
…::: Summary :::…
The
14 stages of the East African Tour (EAT) 2012 - 1 prologue, 11 regular plus two half stages – take place in three East African countries, including
Kenya,
Tanzania and
Malawi. During the
14 days, the tour leads the teams from the prologue in
Nairobi via the Kenyan-Tanzanian border town
Namanga to the tourist spots around
Arusha with a Mt. Kilimanjaro teaser during the first three stages.
The plateau around the starting point for many tourists in this region will be left during stage 4 in direction to
Voi, back to Kenya. After another flat stage from the Kenyan harbour city
Mombasa to
Tanga and the second hard stage up to the
Usamabara Mountains,
Zanzibar presents during stage 7 the team time trial in
Stone Town after a resting day.
The upcoming part of the tour then involves an easy beginning from
Dar es Salaam to
Morogoro with a climax to the Stage 10 around the Matipa Complex Forest in Malawi. To calm down before the tour’s finale, the teams will head for the longest stage of the tour from Malawi’s capital
Lilongwe down to the
Monkey Bay. Finally, the South East African Tour ends with two half stages incl. the final ITT in
Blantyre which will close the SEAT 2012.
Overall, the EAT 2012 includes 2 individual time trials incl. the prologue, 1 team time trial, 4 pure flat stages for sprinters, 4 middle mountain stages and 3 mountain stages. Each stage has a maximum of two intermediary sprints. Mountain sprints are set according to the stage’s profile. With 4 sprint stages, at least two climber finales and lots of stages with open end, the tour offers something for every type of rider (except pavé…), GC teams as well as stage hunters.
The main character of the tour might not seem very hard, according to the most stage profiles. But as the tour takes place in a
tropical climate region, with temperatures over 30° Celsius almost every day and the constant up and down from high plateaus to the coast of the Indian Ocean or
Lake Malawi and back, the tour will be very exhaustive and the flat stages as well as the rest day will be needed to recover for the next challenge.
Prologue: Nairobi (ITT, 5km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 1
- Last 5 km: 0,1,0,0,0
General remarks:
5km of ITT in the city centre of Nairobi. Clearly a stage for time trial specialists to wear the leader’s jersey for the first time during the EAT 2012. The beginning of a great tour!
Stage 1: Nairobi – Namanga (Flat, 164km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from somwhere near the finish line
- Last 5 km: fucking flat
General remarks:
The short flat stage leads from Nairobi to the Kenyan-Tanzanian border city Namanga. This will be mainly a stage for sprinters or an early group and the possibility for the leader to wear his jersey for another day. The first and hopefully only really boring day.. pah.
Stage 2: Namanga – Mt. Kilimajaro (Middle mountain, 202km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 186
- Last 10 km: 4, 4, 1, 3, 3, 4, 7, 5, 5, 4
General remarks:
After the cosy beginning of EAT 2012, now the harder part starts. After almost 200km with a constant but not really hard up and down, the riders will climb the paved part from Moshi up the Mt. Kilimanjaro to the start place for the hikers. The climb is not very steep, but might be a first possibility for the climbers to win a stage.
Stage 3: Arusha - Ngorognoro (Mountain, 213km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 152
- Last 5 km: 0, -1, 0, 3, 2
- Climb cat. 3: 2, 5, 4, 6, 6
- Climb cat. 2: 8, 6, 2, 1, 3, 3
- Climb cat. 1: 8, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 8, 4, 1, 5, 3
General remarks:
I am sure this stage is going to be fun. 213 km with tropical conditions up to almost 2500m to the Ngorongoro crater. Unfortunately, the riders will not be able to enjoy the spectacular wildlife inside the crater but have to make sure not to fall during the long and steep downhill part. Although this is a mountain stage, the good classic riders will have the best chances here.
-> Remark: The road has been assumed to be paved during the whole stage.
Stage 4: Moshi – Voi (Flat, 150km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 126
- Last 5 km: -1, -1, -1, -1, 0
General remarks:
After the exhaustive stage 3, stage 4 is a short flat stage that leads back from Tanzania to Kenya. The peloton will pass the Tsavo West National Park as well as the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary on the road to Voi, where the second chance for a sprint royal waits for the s
printer teams.
Stage 5: Mombasa – Tanga Flat, 188km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 168
- Last 5 km: 0, 1, 0, 1, 0
General remarks:
Maybe one sprint stage is not enough to recover after stage 2 and 3, so the next one follows directly from Mombasa, the famous Kenyan harbour city, to Tanga in Tanzania, which might create other pictures, maybe.
Stage 6: Tanga – Lushoto (Mountain, 150km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 138
- Last 5km: 9, 3, 0, 1, 1
- Climb to Lushoto: 12, 18, 9, 11, 16
General remarks:
Enough for the sprinters! Let’s ride up the Usambara Mountains after a flat part from Tanga via Korogwe, finishing in Lushoto, the regional capital. This will be the hardest climb during the whole tour, although after a rather short stage. The climbers will be happy.
-> Remark: The climb to Lushoto has been smoothened out due to two extremely steep parts. The overall climb’s height and length stay original, as well as the last 5km.
---Rest day---
General remarks:
It’s recommended that, after the transfer from Lushoto, the teams spend their rest day already on Zanzibar, where tourism is the most important economical sector. Go on a spice tour, enjoy the beautiful beaches or walk through Stone Town, the historical city centre. Maybe you can already get a glance at the upcoming TTT route.
Stage 7: Stone Town (TTT, 21km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 1
General remarks:
Spice tour is over; EAT 2012 is back on the road for the TTT on Zanzibar. The route leads 21 of flat km around Stone Town. Straight after the finish, the teams will leave the Island to ship over to Dar es Salaam for the next stage.
Stage 8: Dar es Salaam – Morogoro (Flat, 190 km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km: 174
- Last 5 km: 1, -1, 1, -1, -1
General remarks:
3 days of waiting for the sprint teams and enough time to recover. So this flat stage from Dar es Salaam, the biggest Tanzanian city to Morogoro (no, it’s not Mordor) cries out for a sprint royal, the possible 4th of the EAT 2012. It will be also a stage for the GC-teams to relax before the upcoming crucial finale in Malawi.
Stage 9: Mikumi – Iringa (Middle mountain, 190 km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 165
- Last 5 km: 0, 2, 6, 0, 1
- Climb to cat. 2: 2, 4, 9, 5, 6, 7, 6, 3, 5
- both cat. 4 are an 8
General remarks:
Before the teams leave Tanzania again to enter Malawi, they have to ride the middle mountain stage from Mikumi to Iringa. The sprinters could be lucky here too, but in the designer’s eye, this could be on of the best opportunities for an early group.
Stage 10: Around Matipa Complex Forest (Mountain, 163km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 132
- Last 10 km: -10, -9, 1, 12, 10, -17, -5, -1, 1-, 1
- climb to cat. 1: 8, 4, 6, 4, 1
General remarks:
Wow, look at this beauty! As a deceased Australia wild life specialist would have said. Stage 10 is clearly the hardest stage of the EAT 2012 and thus might be considered as the most crucial stage of the tour. Here, everything is possible for climbers, classics, groups, but certainly not for sprinters (if they don’t win out of an escape). If not happened yet, the GC will be shaped finally before the last ITT.
Stage 11: Monkay Bay – Lilongwe (Midde mountain, 219 km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 160
- Last 5 km: -1, 0, 1, 0, 1
- climb to cat. 3: 2, 7, 0, 0, 4, 6
- climb to cat. 2: 2, 2, 2, 4, 2, -3, 3, 4, 2, 4, 2, 1, 0, 5
General remarks:
This stage is a tribute to the last year’s winner of the December tour voting. The longest stage of the EAT 2012 leads from Lilongwe in a long downhill and a following flat part to the Lake Malawi, the Monkey Bay to be exact. Again a possible sprinter’s stage, the 5th and maybe last one of the tour. Hmm.. somethings wrong here: It's the other way round! Anybody noticed? First to write me via PM will get a random smiley back.
Stage 12a: Lake Chilwa – Blantyre (Middle mountain, 94km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 63
- Last 6 km: 3, 4, 3, 4, -1, -2
General remarks:
The two last stages will be half stages. Stage 12a is short, not very selective middle mountain stage to make the following ITT more interesting. Most probably, not much will happen in the GC, while this half stage will be another good opportunity for escapees.
Stage 12b: Around Blantyre (ITT, 21km)
Important parts:
- 60sec/km from km 1
- steepest climb 4%, steepest downhill -4%
General remarks:
The final ITT – the second half stage – takes place in Blantyre, the commercial centre of Malawi. The grand finale. The finish of the EAT 2012. A sad moment for many, a happy moment for a few. For sure the end of a great tour.
I didn't mean to say it. But I meant what I said.
