On this occasion, nine pigeons were flown in celebration of the ninth birthday of HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.
In a speech before the kick-off of the race, President of the Moroccan cycling federation (FRMC), Mohamed Belmahi expressed gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for his care to promote sports in Morocco and cycling in particular.
He also highlighted that this cycling event is being held with the participation of cyclists from seven Arab, African and European countries at a moment Morocco is celebrating the ninth birthday of HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.
Belmahi also shed light on the achievements of Moroccan cyclists who managed to ensure their qualification to the 2012 London Olympics after taking the first place in the general ranking of the Africa Tour.
The participants in the event were introduced to HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan. Then, they started the race to the city of Meknes, the finish of the competition's first stage (160 km).
The second stage is a 139-kilometer round trip that will take place on Tuesday between Meknes, Azrou and Ifrane, while the third and last stage (190km) will link Meknes to Tamesna through Khemisset, Al Maâziz and Rommani.