Team Rwanda in Congo (Photo Sport Mirror)
Crashes aplenty in $1m, 600-mile race many believe will raise
profile of Democratic Republic of Congo and cycling in AfricaIt's a far cry from Sir Bradley Wiggins pedaling to
glory down the Champs Elysées, but what it lacks in finesse, the inaugural Tour
de Congo makes up for in potholes, punctures and unpredictability.
About 60 cyclists are competing over nearly 600 miles
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's biggest
sporting event since Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle".
The
$1m (£650,000) event, largely funded by the government with backing from
private sponsors, hopes to a show a different side to a country weighed down by
"heart of darkness" clichés. It is being filmed from the air by a
media company using drones.
Prize money is unusually high for African cycling:
$7,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $3,000 for third. As in the
better known Tour de France, the race leader wears a yellow jersey, but this
one is emblazoned with the blue, red and yellow of the Congolese national flag.
Sylvestre Mutayo, president of the Congolese cycling
federation, said cycling was once the second most popular sport in the country
after football but lost ground owing to economic hardships. "The tour will
show people that we have infrastructure, and that people are friendly and
hospitable, open to tourism,"
The
competitors are up against some tough logistical asks – it is estimated that of
the 95,070 miles (153,000km) of roads in Congo, less than 1,860 miles (3,000km)
are asphalted – but at least the route will not take them weaving between rebel
militias in the country's tormented east.
Even
so, the race began a day later than scheduled and saw numerous crashes. With
eight stages being held, some in remote and mountainous areas, no one is
expecting a smooth ride.
"It's their first big race and I really think
they're trying to make a statement," said Kimberly Coats, manager of Team Rwanda, competing alongside Benin,
Burkina Faso, DRC, Republic of Congo, France, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Togo and
Uganda. "We have to give it to the DRC for trying something like this. It
is a surprise but it shows that African cycling is moving forward and making a
name for itself. Yes, it's chaotic, but it's real."
The
cyclists piled into a boat from Brazzaville to cross the Congo river to the
capital, Kinshasa, Coats added, then had to take further transport to the port
city of Matadi, where the race began on Wednesday.
Witnesses described the atmosphere as having an
unmistakable Congolese flavour of exuberance and chaos. The UN's Radio Okapi
reported that the Congolese riders wasted 10 minutes in a confusion over the
official start and sustained a number of punctures. A Togolese cyclist hit a dog crossing the road,
it added.
Jock
Boyer, Rwanda's national coach, said on Thursday: "The starts are
unimaginable in the sheer sounds – music blaring, bands playing repetitive
rhythms – and teeming masses pushing in then thronging across the street when
they see a rider, only to be replaced by another mass replacing the void left.
"The
police are in full numbers and actually very good: they know the scene and
crowd control which they do with a calm ease, not losing their cool, all fully
armed and stacked with tear gas canisters."
Boyer
added: "There is nothing orderly about any part of this race. Few are
versed in proper race protocol and organization so it brings a handicap.
"The
[cycling] federation, I think, realizes this and as the days go on they will
get better at it."
The involvement of cyclists
is politically symbolic at a time of fraught relations between its government
and Kinshasa over Rwanda's alleged support for rebels in eastern Congo. The
Rwandan government made it clear to the team that, despite short notice, this
was an offer they could not refuse.
Rwanda's
Emmanuel Rudahunga wore the yellow jersey after the first stage but experienced
a setback on day two when his chain broke. There was no space for a spare bike
in an accompanying vehicle so he had to change the chain by the side of the
road.
The
tour is due to end in Kinshasa on 27 June.
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