The Royal Moroccan Cycling Federation (FRMC) will organize the 33rd Morocco Cycling Tour from May 31 to June 9, with a total of 18 national teams and cycling clubs participating in the tournament.
The Tour will start in Laâyoune and finish in Casablanca, the organizers of the competition said during a press conference held in Casablanca on Tuesday.
The teams participating in the Tour, which comprises part of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Africa Tour calendar, include Morocco, Egypt, Benin, Burkina Faso, Germany, France, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, Portugal, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, and Japan.
Secretary General of the FRMC, Lahcen Khasri, told the media that the Federation is dedicated to promoting cycling in Morocco through events such as this one, which covers 1,680 km across 10 stages, and passes through several Moroccan cities.
Supported by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports and the Moroccan National Olympic Committee, the competitors will cycle from Laâyoune to Tarfaya (150.4 km) in the first stage scheduled on May 31.
In the second stage on June 1, cyclists will ride from Guelmim to Tiznit (132.9 km), and so on through various cities until the final stage on June 9, going from Rabat to Casablanca (110.5 km).
Originally scheduled from September 14-23 last year after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 33rd Cycling Tour of Morocco was postponed following the September 8 earthquake which struck several regions of Morocco, FRMC added.
Throughout its history, a total of three Moroccan cyclists have won the Morocco Cycling Tour, namely Mohammed El Gourch, who secured three titles in 1960, 1964, and 1965, Mohcine Lahssaini in 2011, and Anas Aït Laabdia in 2017.