# Absence of African Americans in pro ranks



## gizzard (Oct 5, 2005)

I'm not sure if this issue has been discussed before, but I've always wondered why the European pro peloton has been almost exclusively caucasian. In fact I don't think an African American/black/African cyclist has ever ridden the Tour, Giro or Vuelta, and I can't remember a cyclist of that (American/black/African) extraction ever being on the books of a major pro team. 
Why is this? I have my theories, but I'd like to hear yours. 

PS. I apologise in advance if my racial nomenclature has offended anyone, but I doubt it - this forum generally produces the most 'enlightened' posts on roadbikereview.


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## LeDomestique (Jan 17, 2007)

It's true. There are also few Asian as well.

Of course, there are always honorable exceptions..

http://www.majortaylor.com/

have a read.

cheers


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

gizzard said:


> I'm not sure if this issue has been discussed before, but I've always wondered why the European pro peloton has been almost exclusively caucasian. In fact I don't think an African American/black/African cyclist has ever ridden the Tour, Giro or Vuelta, and I can't remember a cyclist of that (American/black/African) extraction ever being on the books of a major pro team.
> Why is this? I have my theories, but I'd like to hear yours.
> 
> PS. I apologise in advance if my racial nomenclature has offended anyone, but I doubt it - this forum generally produces the most 'enlightened' posts on roadbikereview.


The French ProTour Team Bouygues Telecom has two black riders: Rony Martias and Yohann Gene (see http://www.equipebouyguestelecom.fr/home/pages/ebt/v4/l3/s18/riderlist_lng3_spo18_sitebt.shtml). They are pretty good. I saw Rony race at Flanders and cheered him on. There have been others at other times -- including several Algerians/North Africans (then part of France) who raced the Tour. The Marco Polo cycling team has had a few Ethiopians/Eritrians racing with them. 

Oh, one more thing ... outside of the USA, there are no African-Americans!

Philippe


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Lol*

Since there are actually very few Americans racing in the European professional ranks any cyclist of African heritage is unlikely to be one of those few Americans there. 

Now, as to why there are very few (but they do exist) Euro Professional racers of African Heritage............your guess is as good as mine.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

The UCI sponsors some Tours in Africa (and Asia). I take it their emphasis on globalizing the sport is one of the sore points the European race organizations have with the UCI. I forget the name of the tour (Versus covered it last year) but it sure looked like cycling was big in Africa. It was a cool race, on a lot of dirt roads.


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

ASO (the organisers of the TDF) help run the Tour du Burkina Faso in the country of the same name. The Tour du Senegal is also quite big -- I have team-mates who have raced it... very tough race.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

The standard explanation is a socio-economic one, i.e. that cycling is not established as a popular sport among non-white Europeans and non-white Americans and it is relatively expensive, which is a problem as non-whites generally tend to have lower socio-economic status. There are clearly shortcomings in this logic and obvious counterexamples like Ivan Dominguez on United, who is Cuban, I believe. 

The real reason that the socio-economic explanation is the standard and most popular definition is a political one, i.e. it's far better than the other potential explanation, which is ethnic or racial. No on wants to go there, nor should we. 

It's interesting to note, however, that while it's generally accepted to observe that people from or decendents of people from the east African highlands are naturally gifted distance runners and people from or decendents of people from west Africa are naturally gifted sprinters, no one would make an analogous observation about caucasians. 

As a disclaimer, I fully endorse the socio-economic-political explanation. There's problems with all rational explanations, especially politically-driven ones, but this is ok. I also think all racial classifications are inherently subjective and have only coincidental parallels to reality. There may be something about the DNA we inherit, but it's not some social construction of race.


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## gizzard (Oct 5, 2005)

Good points all, but racing the Tour du Burkina Faso and Tour du Senegal is completely different to the Tour of Flanders or the Tour de France. My point is that it is reasonable to expect to find good African cyclists in African countries, but very few ever make it to European pro teams. Why is this? Are they physically not up to it (unlikely);is it a matter of exposure; or is it a cultural thing? If Africans and African Americans can dominate track and road running (I purposely didn't mention field events), why are they not able to dominate track and road cycling?


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

Just for info: cycling is not necessarily an expensive sport in France and many, but not all, other EU countries. The reason is that the club scene is very well-organised and the sponsorship money coming in pays for the equip,ment that the racers use. This is especially true for young riders .. but even I get equipment for free at 40+ yrs old. Our club fronts our young riders the full deal -- bikes, kits and expendables -- as do most other clubs here. Competitive riders also get the full treatment and everyone else gets, at a minimum, kit and some expendables. I'm still riding on team bikes for road and cross -- but that has probably more to do w/ my seniority than with any results!

The bottom line is that the sport is not expensive for poorer people - whatever there origin. It is, however, less popular than football -- and by far!


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

philippec said:


> Just for info: cycling is not necessarily an expensive sport in France and many, but not all, other EU countries. The reason is that the club scene is very well-organised and the sponsorship money coming in pays for the equip,ment that the racers use. . . .
> The bottom line is that the sport is not expensive for poorer people - whatever there origin.


That's very interesting. I was always unclear why cycling is considered a sport of the poor country boy in France and the sport of doctors and lawyers here in Colorado. There's my answer: institutions. It would be intersting to see a survey of how cycling is percieved socio-economically across the world. Thanks.


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

The African explanation is simple enough - there aren't any decent roads to ride on in much of the continent. Running can be done anywhere.

The US will probably produce even fewer pro cyclists in the future regardless of race. The average height for males is now north of 6' and climbing. That is not going to lead to cycling success. Good (and excess) nutrition and increasing incomes are going to make it harder for many countries to compete in a small person sport like cycling.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

Pablo said:


> That's very interesting. I was always unclear why cycling is considered a sport of the poor country boy in France and the sport of doctors and lawyers here in Colorado.


Probably many reasons but another is that a relatively large number of kids take it up as sport in Europe. In the USA it's mostly adults who take it up for recreation or health. Just go to a race and look at (in general) the tiny junior fields as opposed to the packed senior and masters fields.


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## Zwane (Jun 30, 2006)

I'm Tanzanian and have lived in Europe, North America and Africa. Oddly enough even in Africa i didn't see many black recreational cyclists and of course (Vancouver has a very small black population) since i moved to Vancouver, BC i see next to none. During a family gathering last Christmas i mentioned that i had started riding competitively and i had my, very progressive, siblings make wise-cracks, in jest of course. I also mentioned it to another Tanzanian friend and she said that most Africans don't consider things like cycling for recreation or competition because there are other more serious day-to-day issues occupying their minds. This last explanation certainly made sense to me as i grew up in Southern Africa. I'm not sure whether it would apply in North America due to the large black middle class, perhaps it's just now considered "how things are".


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## Kestreljr (Jan 10, 2007)

terzo rene said:


> The US will probably produce even fewer pro cyclists in the future regardless of race. The average height for males is now north of 6' and climbing.


Dude, what are you smoke'n- You must be hanging out with some pretty tall people or something! 

Average US height for males over age 20 is 5'9". the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries in Europe are where the heights are exploding- but still even those are just now getting to 6'.


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## Sprocket - Matt (Sep 13, 2005)

Does anyone remember the scene from American Flyers.... :idea: 
"I WANNA BOWLING BALL..."
Just kidding..  I couldn't find a clip of it on google or youtube...

I think the Socio-Economics is as good an explaination as any...
And here in Indianapolis, we have the Major Taylor Velodrome...
which is where I got to meet Nelson Vails (olympic medalist).... he's not in the Euro Peloton but when I was 14 or 15 and his thighs were bigger than my waist... still awfully impressive... I remember watching him actually RIP the bars off his bike during a sprint that night, broke the stem... I was blown away at his strength & speed. I'd still like to shake his hand again someday... :thumbsup: 

WHOA... I just realized that makes me only 2 steps away from Kevin Bacon since Nelson was the guy in the opening scene of Quicksilver... I never put two and two together... I gotta make a phone call... :cornut:


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

*Allez Allez Zimbabwe!*



philippec said:


> The French ProTour Team Bouygues Telecom has two black riders: Rony Martias and Yohann Gene (see http://www.equipebouyguestelecom.fr/home/pages/ebt/v4/l3/s18/riderlist_lng3_spo18_sitebt.shtml). They are pretty good. I saw Rony race at Flanders and cheered him on. There have been others at other times -- including several Algerians/North Africans (then part of France) who raced the Tour. The Marco Polo cycling team has had a few Ethiopians/Eritrians racing with them.
> 
> Oh, one more thing ... outside of the USA, there are no African-Americans!
> 
> Philippe


These guys are Africans, but not Americans:

http://www.velonews.com/diaries/rider/articles/9317.0.html
http://www.freewebs.com/allez_allez_zimbabwe/

Allez Allez Zimbabwe is a cyclocross team run by Roger De Vlaeminck. Not sure if they are still active in the circuit, but they made a splash last year.

And of course, the French national track team has Gregory Bauge, who rides the sprint events.


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## wyomingclimber (Feb 26, 2004)

Honestly, I think it's plain lack of interest. 

People always seem to want to make Blacks the victims of this or that, but often they just have better things to do. In the U.S., Black sports heros are from much "cooler" and more lucrative sports. Also, because U.S. Blacks are more concentrated in urban areas (on average) fewer have an opportunity to put on the miles. I used to live in Baltimore and my bike never came off the peg.

I spend a lot of time in Africa and I think it's the same lack of interest, but for different reasons. Capetown has one of the largest and best biking communities in the world, but very few Blacks. Based on conversations with my friends there, any Black person who showed interest could probably get help. They just don't show that much interest.

Last time I was in Windoek there was a big race being advertised. I wish I could have stayed--I have this mental picture of every White person in Nambia rolling out under the banner. Love to have had a photo of that. 

The Tour of Faso is the greatest race on the planet. Last year, a guy on the side of the road repaired somone's chain with a piece of bone...


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## Run1stBike2nd (Oct 28, 2005)

While I think that a genuine lack of interest is a factor, I think affordability is the #1 issue. For example, Tiger Woods has been the best golfer in the world for a decade, but I still don't see that many more African Americans playing on the PGA tour because golf is still an incredibly expensive sport. For the most part, it is still a sport for white doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. 

In addition to the issue of the affordability of cycling in the U.S, there is the simple fact that endurance sports such as cycling aren't perceived to be as glamorous as the mass-marketed "stick & ball" sports. Endurance sports also aren't nearly as lucrative either. In Europe, cycling is viewed as a "way out" for the poorer folks. In the U.S, basketball and, to a lesser extent, football are the "ways out." 

Just check out Sports Illustrated the next time they publish their issue that lists the earnings of the highest paid American athletes. Lance Armstrong is probably the only endurance athlete who will make the list, and his presence on the list has as much to do with his cancer survival as his 7 TdF victories (he couldn't have 1 without the other and still earn the money that he has; the combination of those 2 is what made him so marketable).


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## Jaji (Nov 26, 2001)

LeDomestique said:


> It's true. There are also few Asian as well.
> 
> Of course, there are always honorable exceptions..
> 
> ...


cool website. it is a good read.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Cycling in America*

isn't the ticket out of a poor or middle income existence like in Europe.

it is expensive to get into here and there is no 'minor league' where you can get paid while working your way up the ranks


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## barbedwire (Dec 3, 2005)

Basketball is a lot cheaper to play than bike racing. Cycling's astonomical costs for race entry, not to mention equipment, put it out of reach for any inner city black kid.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Lots of good points here. It's sad because many black athletes could get extremely far.

Someone above me posted, "It's interesting to note, however, that while it's generally accepted to observe that people from or decendents[sic] of people from the east African highlands are naturally gifted distance runners and people from or decendents[sic] of people from west Africa are naturally gifted sprinters, no one would make an analogous observation about caucasians[sic]."

It is observed that whites are good middle distance runners. We may not win the 100m or marathons, but it noted that whites tend to excel in middle distance events. This could also explain the success of pro cycling. Although the races are long and hard (to our standards), it is a lot of energy conserving and drafting to the pros. Making it to the finish is for endurance athletes, finishing first is for sprinters. Doing both is probably good for middle-distance athletes.


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## Jack Hammer (Mar 31, 2007)

I think it's somewhere between being a cultural thing (lack of interest) and a socio-economic thing. It would be a difficult argument to prove racial exclusion. Any one who wants to and has a few hundred dollars can buy a basic used road bike and start riding it. When I ride, I see mainly white people on road bikes. I see people of other ethnicities too, but it seems to be primarily caucasions. Pro cycling pulls up from the ranks out of a general pool of riders, if there isn't too much diversity in the pool, there won't be much in the pro ranks.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Interesting point, although it comes a bit close to athletic racial profiling for me. 

And, no I can't spell correctly without red sqiggily lines under the misspelled words. Thanks fer [sic] noticing.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

atpjunkie said:


> isn't the ticket out of a poor or middle income existence like in Europe.
> 
> it is expensive to get into here and there is no 'minor league' where you can get paid while working your way up the ranks


Cycling in Europe isn't the ticket out of a poor or middle income like it was a couple of generations back, guys who turn pro do so because they are pursuing their passion and gennerally make damn sure to get an education besides to guarantee a good income if it doesn't work out. Cycling is mostly a white middle class sport here.


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

rogger said:


> Cycling in Europe isn't the ticket out of a poor or middle income like it was a couple of generations back, guys who turn pro do so because they are pursuing their passion and gennerally make damn sure to get an education besides to guarantee a good income if it doesn't work out. Cycling is mostly a white middle class sport here.


Perhaps in the Netherlands ... but certainly not here in France. When I line up at a race, I can be sure that I am the *only* one there with a university degree and that 80% of the field has at most a technical "Bac". Racing is still very much a working class-poor sport in France (and in Italy/Spain). My team-mates are bakers, pipe-layers, policemen, masons, etc... all working class.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

philippec said:


> Perhaps in the Netherlands ... but certainly not here in France. When I line up at a race, I can be sure that I am the *only* one there with a university degree and that 80% of the field has at most a technical "Bac". Racing is still very much a working class-poor sport in France (and in Italy/Spain). My team-mates are bakers, pipe-layers, policemen, masons, etc... all working class.


Up here it's football (proper European football) that's the working class sport and it manages to attract the new members of the working class where cycling just doesn't. Roughly 10% of the population is made up of immigrants of non-western extraction but they just don't get into cycling as a sport.


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## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

rogger said:


> Up here it's football (proper European football) that's the working class sport and it manages to attract the new members of the working class where cycling just doesn't. Roughly 10% of the population is made up of immigrants of non-western extraction but they just don't get into cycling as a sport.


In France, football also has the greatest draw for working-class youth. Basketball as well. The numbers of young riders attracted to cycling are much lower than they used to be ... but still the sport draws almost exclusively from the working class. Regional traditions also play a role with many more young Bretons and Vendéens coming into the sport than say inhabitants of the Cote d'Azur.


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## aussiejim (Sep 13, 2006)

It will happen one day if you remember the last winter olympics there was a speed skater 
who is world champion and won gold medals you just got to get them interested when their young .


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