Kenyan Town to Become East African Cycling Hub_美文

Kenyan Town to Become East African Cycling Hub

The sport of cycling has steadily built a following in East Africa in recent years. It doesn't hurt that two-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya and trained by one of Africa's best cyclists, David Kinjah. And now the town of Machakos, about 56 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, is trying to become Kenya's, and perhaps East Africa's, cycling hub.

Kenyan Town to Become East African Cycling Hub1

They make it look easy...

At elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 meters [3,280 to 5,250 feet] above sea level, however, cycling these hills is anything but effortless.

That challenge makes Machakos County, Kenya, a showcase venue for the abilities of East African cyclists during the second annual Tour de Machakos.

Serious cyclist

Twenty-three-year-old Cyrus Wambua is one of those riders. Born and raised in Machakos, Wambua has been riding since he was a child. He says his mother encouraged him to start.

"My mother got inspired by that strong guy from the Tour de France, the Lance Armstrong, so I used to read documentaries and when we were a small kid, they used to tell us that one day you'll race like Lance Armstrong," said Wambua.

Uganda's national cycling coach, Jesper Fiedler, says this is one reason why Kenya's and East Africa's cycling community has continued to grow over the years.

"Partly, it's the exposure on TV. More people can watch these races on TV, and then the more people who are riding around in different towns around East Africa, the exposure's just bigger," said Fiedler. "So people, they see, and they say, ‘Maybe we should pick up this sport.'"