Wheelchair Sports WA has incorporated the final stage of its Mastercard Wild West Handcycling Tour into the 2006 Freeway Bike Hike for Asthma finishing on Sunday, March 19. Starting on Wednesday, 44 elite international handcyclists will cover approximately 135km in five stages. Handcyclists will begin the final stage of their journey at 6.45am from Belmont Park Racecourse together with the 10,000 expected riders from the Freeway Bike Hike for Asthma, finishing at Joondalup’s city centre. The Note understands the journey is expected to take around 50 minutes and will race through the tunnel of the Graham Farmer Freeway and then up the Mitchell Freeway to the finishing line. East and southbound lanes of the freeway will be closed to traffic on the day. Australian national handcycling coach Andrew Budge believes the inclusion of the tour into the Freeway Bike Hike for Asthma not only adds a new dimension to the highly successful event, but also helps to raise the profile of handcycling in the wider community. "I believe that riders in the Freeway Bike Hike for Asthma will be amazed and inspired by the endurance, skill and speed of the handcyclists. This itself will do much for raising the profile of the sport," he said.