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Froome’s Cycling Success Reverberates Through Kenyan Youth

Froome’s Cycling Success Reverberates Through Kenyan Youth

From AFP via MalaysianDigest.com

The rusty iron buildings that shelter the Safari Simbaz cycling team in a village outside the Kenyan capital may not immediately catch the eye.

But inside and around the simple dwellings an ambitious plot is being hatched: to challenge the Europeans for places in some of the world’s most prestigious and lucrative races, including the Tour de France.

Inspired by one-time local boy Chris Froome and confident that Kenya’s legendary prowess in endurance sports can translate to the bicycle, Safari Simbaz founder David Kinjah says it is only a matter of time before an all-African team will bring some fresh colour to the peloton.

“Froome’s success in the Tour de France has inspired many boys who want to take up cycling as a sport. We have also had a lot of interest from all over Kenya,” said Kinjah, 42, who mentored the Kenyan-born Froome when he was a boy.

“Right now we have 20 boys in full-time training with us. Two of these boys might even go on to compete in the Tour of France in the next three years if they stay focused,” he told AFP.

For Kinjah, the main stumbling block is funding, and not raw talent.

A basic racing bike costs upwards of US$700 (RM2, 266), and a race-ready model many times more than a small fortune in a country where the average income is around US$1,800 a year. Add to that the cost of clothing, shoes, helmets, mountain bikes for training on the trails and it’s easy to see why the sport remains inaccessible to many Kenyans.

“A lot of people were hoping that because we have great runners and marathoners, winning races around the world, we should start seeing great cyclists from Kenya. But cycling does not necessarily compare to running,” Kinjah said.

Read more at MalaysianDigest.com