- Title: ALGERIA: Harley Davidson riders kick off tour of Algeria
- Date: 22nd October 2009
- Summary: BIKERS LEAVING PORT OF ALGERIA VARIOUS OF BIKERS TOURING ALGIERS (3 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF BIKERS STATIONED AT A STOP POINT (5 SHOTS) TWO ALGERIAN POLICE OFFICERS STANDING BY BIKES STATIONED IN A LINE PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS ON THE BIKES PRESIDENT OF THE MOTOR CYCLE RACING FEDERATION IN ALGERIA RAYANE FEZOUINE SAYING: "This visit is reserved for the Harley Davidson fans. Of course, our objective is to show our region, our touristic potential and for us as bikers, riding our Harley Davidson in Algeria is very pleasurable; and also to compare it with riding Road 66. Most of the participants in the tour in the south have come back to take part this year." VARIOUS OF BIKER RIDING AROUND ALGIERS (2 SHOTS) YOUNG MEN CHEER THE BIKERS AS THEY RIDE PAST ONLOOKERS WATCHING BIKERS AS THEY RIDE PAST VARIOUS OF BIKERS RIDING
- Embargoed: 6th November 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Travel / Tourism,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVAB87M1MMRVR00GN5QR76OV5LCI
- Story Text: Dozens of Harley Davidson Bikers from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada arrived in the Algerian capital Algiers to kick off a bike tour of the country and neighbour Tunisia.
The tour entitled the Harley Davidson Raid started on October 20th and will see the bikers touring Algeria before heading to neighbouring Tunisia. The bikers will head back to Algeria at the end of the month to conclude their tour on October 27th.
The bikers expressed excitement about touring Algeria for the first time.
"We are here in order to meet people, to have fun, to visit the country and to discover as many things as possible" said one biker.
International visitors to Algeria have increased in recent years, following the subsiding of violence in a conflict between the government and Islamist insurgents affiliated to al Qaeda.
Biker Giselle Coutaux added that meeting Algerian people adds to the excitement of the tour.
"It is our first tour in Algeria. I am very happy to be here. The objective is to discover your beautiful country, because everybody says that it is a very beautiful country, to make contact with the inhabitants and to have the pleasure of sharing this visit with our friends. We have previously visited Morocco and Tunisia but not Algeria," Coutaux said.
Dressed in their signature black leather outfits, leather jackets and boots, the riders rode their bikes off a ferry boat which dropped them off in the port of Algiers.
The 40 or so bikers planned to tour 18 districts in Algeria before going on to Tunisia.
"We are here for two reasons, the first one is to enjoy this as a holiday, and to enjoy the sun before winter comes. And secondly to discover a county we are not familiar with. I liked Tunisia a lot and I hope it will be the same here too," said Raisin.
The bikers were cheered by onlookers, some of whom used the opportunity to take pictures with the bikes and with the riders.
For the president of the Motorcycle Racing Federation in Algeria, Rayane Fezouine, the tour was a welcome event for Algerian Harley Davidson fans who enjoy riding around Algeria and recreating the atmosphere similar to touring the famous 'Route 66' in the US.
"This visit is reserved for the Harley Davidson fans. Of course, our objective is to show our region, our touristic potential and for us as bikers, riding our Harley Davidson in Algeria is very pleasurable; and also to compare it with riding Route 66. Most of the participants in the tour in the south have come back to take part this year." Said Fezouine Route 66 is was one of the oldest highways in North Ameria. It links Chicago and Los Angeles and has gained cultural significance from being associated with tours exploring America and from a number of hit songs and references in films which turned it into a world-wide icon.
Harley Davidson, also known as HD, is a 105 year old US motorbike manufacturer based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. The company was set up in 1903 by a group of friends who invented a new motorbike engine in their back garden. Since then, Harley Davidson has become a world-wide familiar brand and has survived much competition and economic downturns.
The brand has a world-wide following of fans and fan clubs who own the bikes, who dress in the Harley Davidson signature outfits and ride on tours like this one. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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