The Tour of Wessex, the UK's biggest multi-stage cyclosportive, has announced that the Safari Simbaz Charity Trust will be the event's official charity going forward. David Kinjah, the charity's founder and a mentor to three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, will be on hand to launch the Safari Simbaz charity in the UK and to ride all three stages of the Tour of Wessex starting on the 27th May.

David Kinjah is one of Africa's most successful cyclists. His hugely successful cycling career has included mentoring Chris Frome, captaining the Kenyan national team and winning numerous races both in Europe and in Africa.

For the past 15 years Kinjah has dedicated himself to reducing poverty through the power of the bike. The Safari Simbaz Educational Centre utilises cycling as a means for children in disadvantaged communities to build self-esteem, learn new skills and become empowered with knowledge that can sustain them economically in the future.

"The Safari Simbaz is an amazing project," said Nick Bourne, Tour of Wessex founder. "It has given many kids opportunities they would never have had and all because of the dedication and vision of Kinjah. There is now a group of us that want to sustain and develop the project going forward.

"We think many of the cyclists that ride the Tour of Wessex will be inspired to learn more and hopefully make the trip to Kenya for a bicycle safari or high altitude training camp with Simbaz!"

David Kinjah said; "I've met youngsters who are inspired to study by being able to cycle to school rather than having to walk or run 15km, that sort of thing makes all the effort worthwhile. We hope we will fire up every school kid about what we are doing and what ultimately we can all achieve if we just set our minds to it.

"We're going to invite everyone at the Tour of Wessex to join our adventure in this. Both as the Captain of the Kenyan National Cycling Team and as the founder of the Safari Simbaz, I can't think of anything better."

Kinjah will be accompanied on the sportive by Ollie George, 2016 Captain of Cycling at Millfield School, who has just spent the past three months working at the Safari Simbaz Education Centre on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya.

Based in Langport, Somerset, the Tour of Wessex is the UK's biggest and longest standing multi-stage sportive. For 12 years cyclists have been making the journey each year to Somerset to experience the challenge of riding three days back-to-back while enjoying the West Country hospitality, music and internationally recognised food and drink.

Riders can expect quintessentially English countryside though the lanes and byways of the South West. Each individual stage has its own unique mix of monuments, history and challenging terrain which sets it apart from other events. Choose from 322 miles, 224 miles or ride an individual stage.

For more information and to enter the Tour of Wessex, visit www.pendragonsports.com.

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