The Grand Finale of the 800km Ride with Team Europe Cycling relay ended at the forecourt of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ghana on Saturday.
The cycling marathon, which rode through seven regions, was spearheaded by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Rune Skinnebach, and started from Tamale on Sunday, April 12, and ended in Accra.
The event celebrated 50 years of the EU’s physical presence in Ghana.
Beyond the ride, the initiative aimed to champion sustainability through a partnership with the Forestry Commission, which resulted in the planting of 1,000 seedlings under the ‘Tree for Life’ initiative across the seven regions.
At the start of the tour in Tamale, Ambassador Skinnebach signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, aimed at promoting unity, peace, and development between the cities.
Some of the cities the marathon travelled through were Tamale, Buipe, Techiman, Sunyani, Kumasi, Nkawkaw and Aburi.
In attendance were ambassadors from member states including Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic as well as Regional Ministers, local authority representatives, and traditional leaders in a powerful display of unity, endurance, and shared commitment.
The final leg saw Dr Fred Awaah, the Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA), lead the pack of riders, culminating in a vibrant EU-Ghana finish.
In his closing remarks, Mr Skinnebach congratulated participants for braving the storm and riding in the relay.
Mr Skinnebach noted that the infrastructure they experienced firsthand shows that certainly, there’s still to be done.
The acting Netherlands ambassador in Ghana, Madam Wendy Van Meel, stated that cycling was deeply embedded in Dutch culture and expressed the hope that more Ghanaians would embrace it as part of their daily lives.
The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, congratulated Mr Skinnebach for the initiative, citing that it has further highlighted the need to make roads more cyclist-friendly by creating safer passages for riders across cities and towns.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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