"We dream of being the first team" black "runs the Tour of Spain or the Tour de France", Monde said jokingly Mpongoshe, the director of a cycling school located in the heart of Khayelitsha, the poorest suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. "We are the only black team there", Focus. Present and future, as, over a hundred children living on the heels of the world. "They come for free, while you're here do not use drugs, enter into criminal gangs, sick or become pregnant as children ", reports. That is one side of this unique project, the other points higher, points to a future on wheels.
The school is one of those projects that do not leave anyone indifferent. At least it did with some of the leading cyclists in the world. The Spanish Carlos Sastre was one of those who passed through here and put a pillar to support the project. Auction 2007 on Ebay bike with which he finished fourth in the Tour de France and second in the Tour of Spain, with a jersey, to help them hold onto the wire. "Besides it, have passed through Fabian Cancellara, Schleck brothers and Bjarne Riis ", remember at school. The professional team CSC, Saxo Bank now, is one of the ones they supported.
The future world champion
Anita has Zenani 13 years and was sixth in the last world championship in track junior cyclocross. Go, like all his colleagues, six days a week training at the ski school "Velokhaya BMX Oval. "Iré Denmark, next event, to be world champion ", says someone who was born in a place where maps of the global village are chimeras. "I was sixth in the world last, now I want to be first ", remark. The stakes are ambitious. In Khayelitsha are multiplied by a thousand options a girl 13 old is to contract AIDS than those who have to get on a podium on two wheels.
Is that the dream of Zanele Tshoko or Mthetheleli Boya, both 18 years. Zanele was second trial in the smallest category 16 years and third in the race online. "I like going to the London Olympics", says a young woman who goes every day also to the University of Western Cape. "Study of Physical Education". A luxury that demonstrates that the project goes beyond the two wheels. Paint, meanwhile, South African champion and now trial will go to a campus that can get a passport in the summer to train in Belgium. "I have options to enter the national team", says, bike helmet in hand. It also examines, also dreams. Ellos its the elite deportiva, the elect, Majority Velokhaya are kids who do bike to forget to do other things.
"We also give free food", world explanations. For some kids this may be reason enough to learn to jump on the bike
Study and exercise go hand in hand. "There are agreements with schools in the area to compute them come here as a physical education class. Many do not give it in their schools ". Perhaps for that vocation school was built and a library still empty but "in a week be filled with books", ensure those responsible. There is little, over 70 percent of South African schools have no library. "We also give free food", world explanations. For some kids this may be reason enough to learn to jump on the bike with a full stomach.
Velokhaya facilities were renewed in 2008 with the help of sponsors. "The government gave us the land and could build the club", Monde says. What you need? “Bicis, long bike, more than money. ". "We would also like to visit us Contador. It would be an honor for us ". There are options, Spanish Consul in Cape Town, Ignacio Garcia-Valdecasas, has promised to initiate steps to try to help from Spain.
The school is a full training camp where everyone has their niche. One of the more sacred is the workshop, "Nothing is thrown away if it can fix". Anele works six days a week in a dark room fixing bicycles. "Before I competed and now I travel with the team in the car. I can arrange a bike from him ", says the guy from 21 years. Do you pay? "1000 Rands (95 EUR) month ". A dream? "Let them win". Search, in the next room, esters Abongike confused, shop teacher. "I was taught and I now teach others to repair bicycles. In front are three young people who aspire to learn the craft of putting straight handlebars with "aluminosis" and win 95 fellow euro. The other, alternative outside, is for most return to the mud without wheels and the suburb of violence, disease and misery that surrounds them.
PD.
(When reading this article I will be in Mozambique. The bad internet connection I guess I have nothing will prevent reaching what I understand there, perceive or confused. The text is also published in the newspaper elmundo.es)
Thanks
Velokhaya cycling is a school for underprivileged children in the poorest neighborhood of Cape Town. Carlos Sartre and the Schleck brothers and helped them. "Now we want to come Accountant", say.
Text and photos: Javier Brandoli. Cape Town
"We dream of being the first team" black "runs the Tour of Spain or the Tour de France", Monde said jokingly Mpongoshe, the director of a cycling school located in the heart of Khayelitsha, the poorest suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. "We are the only black team there", Focus. Present and future, as, over a hundred children living on the heels of the world. "They come for free, while you're here do not use drugs, enter into criminal gangs, sick or become pregnant as children ", reports. That is one side of this unique project, the other points higher, points to a future on wheels.
The school is one of those projects that do not leave anyone indifferent. At least it did with some of the leading cyclists in the world. The Spanish Carlos Sastre was one of those who passed through here and put a pillar to support the project. Auction 2007 on Ebay bike with which he finished fourth in the Tour de France and second in the Tour of Spain, with a jersey, to help them hold onto the wire. "Besides it, have passed through Fabian Cancellara,Schleck brothers and Bjarne Riis ", remember at school. The professional team CSC, Saxo Bank now, is one of the ones they supported.
The future world champion
Anita has Zenani 13 years and was sixth in the last world championship in track junior cyclocross. Go, like all his colleagues, six days a week training at the ski school "Velokhaya BMX Oval. "Iré Denmark, next event, to be world champion ", says someone who was born in a place where maps of the global village are chimeras. "I was sixth in the world last, now I want to be first ", remark. The stakes are ambitious. In Khayelitsha are multiplied by a thousand options a girl 13 old is to contract AIDS than those who have to get on a podium on two wheels.
Is that the dream of Zanele Tshoko or Mthetheleli Boya, both 18 years. Zanele was second trial in the smallest category 16 years and third in the race online. "I like going to the London Olympics", says a young woman who goes every day also to the University of Western Cape. "Study of Physical Education". A luxury that demonstrates that the project goes beyond the two wheels. Paint, meanwhile, South African champion and now trial will go to a campus that can get a passport in the summer to train in Belgium. "I have options to enter the national team", says, bike helmet in hand. It also examines, also dreams. Ellos its the elite deportiva, the elect, Majority Velokhaya are kids who do bike to forget to do other things.
Study and exercise go hand in hand. "There are agreements with schools in the area to compute them come here as a physical education class. Many do not give it in their schools ". Perhaps for that vocation school has a library built and still empty but "in a week be filled with books", ensure those responsible. There is little, over 70 percent of South African schools have no library. "We also give free food", world explanations. For some kids this may be reason enough to learn to jump on the bike with a full stomach.
Velokhaya facilities were renewed in 2008 with the help of sponsors. "The government gave us the land and could build the club", Monde says. What you need? “Bicis, long bike, more than money. ". "We would also like to visit us Contador. It would be an honor for us ". There are options, Spanish Consul in Cape Town, Ignacio Garcia-Valdecasas, has promised to initiate steps to try to help from Spain.
The school is a full training camp where everyone has their niche. One of the more sacred is the workshop, "Nothing is thrown away if it can fix". Anele works six days a week in a dark room fixing bicycles. "Before I competed and now I travel with the team in the car. I can arrange a bike from him ", says the guy from 21 years. Do you pay? "1000 Rands (95 EUR) month ". A dream? "Let them win". Search, in the next room, esters Abongike confused, shop teacher. "I was taught and I now teach others to repair bicycles. In front are three young people who aspire to learn the craft of putting straight handlebars with "aluminosis" and win 95 fellow euro. The other, alternative outside, is for most return to the mud without wheels and the suburb of violence, disease and misery that surrounds them.
