Air maintenance tire pumping tube cover strip

An air maintenance tire assembly comprising:

• a tire including first and second sidewalls extending respectively from lower sidewall ends connected to respective first and second tire bead regions to higher sidewall ends that are connected to a tire tread region, and defining a cavity;
• an elongate groove located within the first sidewall of the tire, the groove comprising an elongate channel within the first sidewall and an elongate groove access passage extending at an incline from the elongate channel to an access opening located at an outward surface of the first sidewall;
• a tube positioned within the groove elongate channel;
• and
• a cover strip attached to and extending annularly about the first sidewall and enclosing the access opening of the groove access passage, wherein the cover strip and the access opening are positioned at the outward surface of the first sidewall at a higher radial location on the first sidewall than the groove elongate channel location within the first sidewall.