Cycle Racing in Africa

[John the Monkey]

'As if you breathe in hot splinters of glass' - that is how it feels to cycle in Senegal, according to former professional racer Peter Winnen. 'Cycling in Africa is like delightfully losing your way on earth. It's losing yourself in your overheated thoughts and coming unstuck against contrasts. It is rediscovering the kind of cycling that we lost some time ago. It is authentic, but let's not forget that the Africans would gratefully leave this authenticity behind them.'

For five years, Chris Keulen followed the main cycle races of Africa. Three of the resulting essays are shown below. His book 'Hot splinters of glass' was published in 2008 and the accompanying exhibition is held at the Centre Ceramique in Maastricht from 18 May - 14 September.

http://www.panos.co.uk/bin/panos.dll/go?a=disp&t=usnw-loader.html&tpl=nw-index.html&_max=0&_maxlb=0

The photos are from three races, The Tour du Faso, Tour du Senegal and Giro d'Eritrea.

(Sent to me by someone on the cyclist's list at work).

 

[zimzum42]

I always had massive respect for road bikers in Tanzania, it must be hellish with the heat, dust, traffic etc

 

[andy_wrx]

Burkina Faso : I remember reading on the Foreign Office website several years ago a warning about not driving on the Ougadougou to Bobo Dialasso road after dark, because of potholes, unlit donkey carts and cattle sleeping on the road.

"The Ougadougou to Bobo Dialasso road" : what a truly romantic phrase !

One day, I'll travel on the Ougadougou to Bobo Dialasso road.

 

[Aperitif]

Thanks John - nice link. Seem to remember seeing one of these races on telly a couple of years ago...