Kenyan Town to Become East African Cycling Hub_美文

Kenyan Town to Become East African Cycling Hub

Race organizer Alex Tibwitta said Machakos has it all: Nice hills, well-maintained roads, good descents and a government that supports the cycling community.

"I'm pretty confident that with the right nurturing, this is definitely the best place to base a sort of cycling in Kenya, and probably in East Africa, yeah," said Tibwitta.

Kenya's tradition

Some of the best marathoners in the world either live or train in the Kenyan towns of Eldoret and Iten, locations that are known for their high elevations. Some cyclists think Machakos could eventually have that same reputation.

"So definitely, this is a perfect place. If somebody wanted to build a camp up in the hills at maybe 2,100 meters [6,890 feet], you're more or less at the same level, as let's say, Iten. So for sure, this could become a new cycle hub as well, that's a perfect setting here, perfect, really good," said Fiedler.

And for cyclists like Wambua, that would be very good news indeed.

"I like cycling so much because as a sport, it always keeps you busy in that you avoid bad company, don't take drugs, even on the other side, it's a source of living," said Wambua. "You can earn something from the cycling event and you push your family, you do your things, and that's all."