Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - This year's Tour du Ghana, the country's biggest cycling event, in which 48 top cyclists from the nation and other four west African states are expected to showcase their talents was launched at an impressive ceremony in Accra on Wednesday. Burkina Faso was the fourth visiting country to confirm her participation late last night after sister countries Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin had done so earlier in the week to compete with four Ghanaian clubs.

Main sponsor Pepsi is injecting 100 million cedis into the 623-kilometre race which kick-starts from Cape Coast on Sunday through Tarkoradi, Kumasi, Tamale, Sunyani, Koforidua, Mamfi and ends in Accra on the 17th of this month.

The cyclists will be transported after each stage (for instance after the Cape Coast, race will be transported to Tarkoradi) through to the eighth stage in Accra.

Seven other companies - Pens and Plastic (BIC), Woodin, SDV, Ghana Telecom, Wienco Fertilizer, Novotel, GLICO - have been roped in to sponsor each of the stages after which outstanding cyclists will share between 10 and 14 million cedis.

The cyclists will compete in the Individual Time Trial, the Team Time Trial and the Road Races, which include the hot spots. Three crack Ghanaian cyclists, Ayitey Akoto, Joseph Annan and Rudolf Mensah are expected to lead the Ghanaian onslaughts but connoisseurs say the equally good cyclists from Burkina Faso could dent their prospects.

Frenchman Bernard Agei and the Ghana Cycling Association are the organizers, which is under the auspices of the National Sports Council.