The Haute Route’s Global Draw

780km, 21,000 metres of vertical ascent, 19 formidable climbs: these are the insane  numbers upon which the sport of cycling thrives. These numbers, more specifically relate to the Haute Route, a daunting 7 day amateur stage race which takes in mythical ascents such as Alpe D’Huez as it makes its way from Geneva to Nice. The cyclosportive is among the most demanding and intimidating events that an amateur cyclist can tackle.

In 2012, for the first time, a team of 7 Kenyan riders will be competing in the Haute Route. Kenya is world renowned for producing some of the finest runners in the world; building on this, entrepreneur Nicholas Leong began a project in 2006 to identify cyclists from the African nation.

Although their stories are all markedly different, all of the riders have experienced severe hardship and suffering in their daily lives, a fact which makes their feat even more impressive; it showcases a determination and grit that seems to be a national norm in Kenya.

It’s not just the drive to succeed that these riders have either, Samwel Mwangi rode an incredible ascent of Alpe D’Huez in 2008, riding the ascent in 43:35, an astonishing time. Another rider, John Njoroge Muya spent his early years transporting up to 50 litres of milk on his bike, only to annihilate the climb record on an 11km climb encompassing 700m of ascent.

The project is an interesting departure from charitable programs in the area. It offers athletes with real talent a real oppurtunity to showcase their talents and abilities on the world stage and demonstrate that cycling should no longer be Eurocentric, but instead that nations such as Kenya provide a wealth of opportunity and a great depth of talent.

There’s no doubting the athletic talent in Kenya: in 2011, 29 of the fastest 30 marathon’s were run by Kenyans. Like running, cycling requires incredible aerobic capacity as well as the ability to be able to endure the pain required to run at speed – the team clearly boast both of these attributes.

Good luck to Paul, Suleiman, John, Hilary, Samwel and Benjamin. The Haute Route starts on the 19th of August, concluding on the 25th and we expect that the Kenyan’s will not only be there at the sharp end, but will also ignite the race and bring their inspirational story to the masses.

Keep up to date with their progress on their website - http://www.kenyanriders.com/

1. Kenyan Riders:

   June 30, 2012 at 20:53

   Thanks for the coverage. We'll also be riding in l'Etape du Tour this July 8 and 14. Hope to keep you updated…

2. Njuguna Mwangi:

   July 2, 2012 at 05:54

   looking forward to July 8th and 14TH.