Here’s the latest in my series of CyclingNews blog posts about Benin’s cycling team, the Racing Squirrels:
Soglo is the Benin national champion. The toughest squirrel of them all.
Update, October 22: The race is under way! With limited internet connectivity, I can’t upload much, but I’ll be updating the results and Benin Team blog at www.cyclingnews.com whenever possible. Thanks for all the encouraging comments!
Well, we’re just a couple days out from the biggest race in Africa: the Tour du Faso. I just visited the Beninese Team’s preparation camp in the village of Comé, situated in the rolling hills of Southwestern Benin. Ten athletes were invited for a week of training and racing drills with Coach Gandaho.
The team slept on straw mats during the 10-day camp.
A small concrete building with a tin roof served as the team’s base camp for the week. Squeezed into a small room full of bikes, thread-bare tires, drying jerseys, and tired athletes, the mood felt much like any training camp I experienced with my teams in the US. Weary from long days on the bike, the athletes joked and laughed as they prepared dinner over a charcoal stove. Doing their best with meager means, the team seems determined and excited to be training together.
Alphonse leads the team on a training ride.
I rode along on their last day, and I was impressed with the cohesiveness and fitness of the team. They’ve come a long way since they got smoked by the Burkina team at the Independence Day race in August. It’s obvious they’re taking the Tour de Faso very seriously, and they’ve prepared to face off against top riders from across Africa and Europe. Nonetheless, we’ve got to set realistic expectations, and Coach Gandaho encouraged the team to focus on finishing as many riders as possible, rather than chasing individual glory.
At the end of the week, Gandaho announced the final roster with a mix of established talents and eager youngsters. I was excited that my buddy Alphonse was chosen. He’s been training with a vengeance since the Independence Race, literally wearing the teeth off his chainrings. Fortunately the team lent him one of their aluminum Giant racing bikes with downtube shifters, and he’s rearing to go to Faso. Alphonse is the first cyclist from northern Benin ever to be selected for the national team. In a country dominated by the wealthier and better-educated southerners, it’s quite an accomplishment for this kid who hadn’t ridden on pavement until 6 months ago. In addition to Alphonse, the coach selected:
Augustin – Benin’s best sprinter
Soglo – national road race champion
Cackpo – a tough, cocky all-rounder
Arnauld #1 – a quiet rouleur
Arnauld #2 – a young newbie, just discovered at the training camp in Comé
Augustin Amoussouvi
The second Arnauld was quite a discovery. When the team arrived in Comé, locals told the coach about a supposedly unbeatable cyclist from the village. Gandaho invited this local phenom to come train with the team. Arnauld showed up to the first ride on a modified touring bike with cyclocross tires and a fixed-gear 52×14 drivetrain. Despite having never ridden in a paceline before, he held with the team all week, and the coach lent him his own bike to join the team at the Tour du Faso.
Arnauld is the latest addition to the Squirrels’ roster.
Much like any team, there was great disappointment amongst the riders who didn’t make the cut, but the chosen athletes decided they’re going to contribute a portion of any winnings to those who must stay home.
We’re planning on leaving from the capital on Tuesday morning in a minivan. It should take two days to get up to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The race is scheduled to start on Thursday. I’m excited to follow along with the boys, and share these stories with CyclingNews whenever I find an internet connection.
If you want to send words of encouragement to the team, you can leave comments right here on QuietGriot.
I also want to take another opportunity to thank everyone who sent equipment donations to the team. The Village Bicycle Project loaded everything into a shipping container in Seattle two weeks ago, and the equipment should arrive in Africa sometime in December.
cheers from Benin!
p.s. Congratulations to my hometown friend Ben King on his US National Championship! Now I forgive you for whipping me at the Wintergreen Hill Climb. The Beninese Team wants to know if you’ll come ride with them here.
Chris, I’ve really enjoyed reading your post. I knew when you were in 5th grade that you’d make a difference in this world, and you certainly have.
Carolyn Pillis
Very inspiring story. It is great to see individuals racing for the love of racing. As a 45 yr old amateur racer, I race because I love the competition. (And of course the free T-shirt and $50 bucks are an added bonus). But the real reason is the love of cycling. Good luck to all of you, race safe, have fun and keep the rubber side down. If the team ever comes to Northern California, please come and ride with us (Tri Valley Velo Race Team). And let us know where/how we can donate spare parts and clothing.
Hey the Squirrels are back!
It’s been awhile since there was a story about these guys, I was wondering what happened.
Good luck at Faso. Rubber side down…
Bonjour, Racing Squirrels,
You have already achieved so much: Now it’s time to show off all your courage, strength, and hard work during the Tour. Come what may, I trust you will enjoy and learn from your participation in the biggest race in Africa.
MEILLEUR DE LA CHANCE
GO SQUIRRELS!!!
Great blog, very inspiring stories. Best of luck to Augustin, Soglo, Cackpo, Arnauld #1 & #2 & Alphonse.
Go Benin!!
Awesome!! Good luck guys!
Best of luck guys! I look forward to hearing all the details.
Wish I was there to train with you and cheer you on to the finish!
The Benin team heros who are humbling and inspiring. Keep riding hard.
Shalom to you guys from Israel. You have a fan here! Would love to meet you all someday. Would love to cheer you on over there…in the mean time I’ll chere you on from back home.
G’day Squirrels. It gets hot here down under in Australia too but it looked really hot on that first stage. Keep it up though what you do with so little is inspiring stuff!
Way to go Squirrels. I’m following your progress on Cyclingnews and cheering you on from my chilly Canadian home.
Very inspiring story. Good luck Squirrels!
fantastic to see you and the guys are still going at it
miss ya over here in the US!
Good Luck Squirrels!
I’m following the race from the States on Cyclingnews and cheering for you!
Hello Christoph
Great work ……………….Loved the idea of getting some equipment to you and the team. Good luck for the rest of the race guys, ……………head down ….bum up ..go hard
Have you any contacts here in Australia regarding getting some stuff to you ..I live in Sydney so i would be happy to liaise with someone. I am part of a large network of cyclists that i would encourage & cajole into getting some stuff together for you guys…………..I suspect that is the easy part ……………..getting the stuff to you will be the challenge but i would love to give it a go
I have been reading about you guys for a while now and all I can say is inspiring. The desire and enthusiasm are a welcome addition to the cycling community. I tell everyone about you guys from my cycling team mates to my non cycling friends. I wish I could dome ride with you or you could come here (Indiana U.S.A.) But until that happens I will continue to follow your stories on Cyclingnews. I would also love to donate items to your team just let me know how. Best of luck to you all. Go Squirrels! Ramon Vasquez MenofSteel Racing.com
I’ve plenty of new and used gear surplus to my needs – let me know how to ship it from Aussie
Love, Jarvis
I wish these racers the best of luck in 2011… hope one day i can come ride and race with them. Jackson, Mississippi.
What is the latest on the team and do they still need gear, please let me know and how to send them equipment. Thanks