Black Cyclists

[auscyclefan94]

Is it true that black people are more naturally muscular? If so that is probably why they aren't really any top cyclists.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Is it true that black people are more naturally muscular? If so that is probably why they aren't really any top cyclists.

no that's not true. they are sooner matured physically though.

I'm an mma fighter and have often seen black guys fight in kickboxing who were like 13 and 14 but looked in their 20s, also physically and dominated big time. then after they get out of youth they usually start to suck as they have lost their physical edge they had in youth to white guys.

 

[sublimit]

I don't think its genetic.Distance running is dominated by black athletes almost as much sprinting.Mark McKay was the best road racer in Britain for a while back in the 80/90s equally there have been black champion swimmers. I seem to remember a guy from Surinam won an Olympic medal

I didnt particularly follow the British scene back then but Mckay seemed a step ahead of the other British riders.
Shanaze Reade is another i can think of for girl racers -world champion in BMX and track, I'd love to see her have a go at road racing with her explosive power.

 

[The Hitch]

Does this perhaps belong in the clinic

Is it true that black people are more naturally muscular? If so that is probably why they aren't really any top cyclists.

Mate. Black is such a generalisation. In reality you have black people in East Aftica who have over years evolved differently from black people in west africa. Many people from various tribal islands would pass as black. Theyve been independent from the rest of Africa for millenia.

You have US basketball players who are minimum 196 cm. Half of them are 210 cm +. Then you have pygmy people who are maximum 150 cm.

The Kenyans from the mountains - Kalenjin people who excel at 3000m are generally taller. The etheiopians who do 10000m and marathons are smaller. Haile and Kenenisa are both 165.

So some black people are more naturally muscular. Some less. There are huge differences.

But think that these marathon runners, would be excelent climbers. They have very slim bodies. They have very high endurance. Bekele has amazing speed as well, so perhaps good enough in tts for gt contender.

 

[mountaindew]

I get so sick of these bull**** questions

there are tons of them. look at gil cordoves recordholder stage wins in vuelta venezuela and millionaire because of it.

also you have yohan gene with bbox and rony martias with saur. but there are many blakc professional cyclists, just not in europe which isn't too strange since most people in europe are white also.

No offense but i would hardly call Cubans black. I could be wrong but they are at most a fraction.

 

[TERMINATOR]

So, why are there no black professional cyclists? I hope we're all mature enough to leave racism or anything like that out of this. So, objectively... Africans excel at distance running and most other endurance sports. Why the sheer white dominance in the sport?

"No offense taken," says Rahsaan Bahati.

 

[El Pistolero]

Don't Ethiopians(or the biggest ethnic group in that country, god knows how many different ethnic groups there are in Africa) have longer "lean" muscles than your typical white athlete? Hence making them so good at long distances(and the fact that a lot of them have to run long distances just to get to school or to get water in their youth helped as well.)

 

[mountaindew]

I raced 2 Tours of Guadeloupe and I can tell you they're really good fast riders that get paid well and are hero's in their country.

 

[The Hitch]

and the fact that a lot of them have to run long distances just to get to school or to get water in their youth helped as well.)

I think thats just Haile. I generally dont believe the stories the media gives to hype up athletes, but the story that he became great by running 10k to school every day is plausible.

Apparently he has a crooked left arm while running because thats where he held his books.

 

[forty four]

Your being ridiculous. Don't get me started on political correctness rubbish like having to call a blackboard, a chalkboard.

im with you i hate pc word play bull**** what is wrong with people. so i guess saying someone is white is racist as well so stupid lol..

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

No offense but i would hardly call Cubans black. I could be wrong but they are at most a fraction.

god cubans don't exist

you have many white cubans you also have black cubans. many african slaves were brought to cuba, although most to hairit, most have mixed up but there are definetely black people in cuba

the generalisations here are ridiculous

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I raced 2 Tours of Guadeloupe and I can tell you they're really good fast riders that get paid well and are hero's in their country.

exatcly cycling is huge in guadeloupe and very professional, some of them race in europe like yohan gene and rony martias. boris carene is one of the top riders, he races in guadeloupe self

 

[redtreviso]

a more interesting question.. Where are the Japanese??? The colombians have fielded at least 2 pro teams over the years. why not Japan.. There is money and lots of racing and a deep deep history of bicycles. Korea probably has a fairly deep pool of racing talent too.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think thats just Haile. I generally dont believe the stories the media gives to hype up athletes, but the story that he became great by running 10k to school every day is plausible.

Apparently he has a crooked left arm while running because thats where he held his books.

Oh could be, I don't really follow athletics(even though I've done it for 7 years haha.)

My dad is really into athletics, and I'm just repeating what he told me(he's the president/voorzitter of the Flemish Athletics league(Vlaamse Atletiekliga.)

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

a more interesting question.. Where are the Japanese??? The colombians have fielded at least 2 pro teams over the years. why not Japan.. There is money and lots of racing and a deep deep history of bicycles. Korea probably has a fairly deep pool of racing talent too.

because cycling is no big sport in japan or korea, nor is there any cycling tradition.

 

[redtreviso]

because cycling is no big sport in japan or korea, nor is there any cycling tradition.

sorry...Keirin must be a dutch word?

 

[profff]

keirin has no relation with road cycling
imagine a boy wanting to practice road cycling in tokyo...
there is no physical space for road cycling in japan.

anyway beppu and harashiro, especially harashiro, are decent rider.

but ryo is right, no hystory and tradition in cycling, above all

 

[Arnout]

Funny thing is Eritrea is possibly the only country in the world where cycling is the biggest sport of the nation. Will be interesting to see what happens if that Cervelo guy with the difficult name can make an impression

 

[Michele]

a more interesting question.. Where are the Japanese??? The colombians have fielded at least 2 pro teams over the years. why not Japan.. There is money and lots of racing and a deep deep history of bicycles. Korea probably has a fairly deep pool of racing talent too.

First you need to find a decent rider which will "move stuff" than some sponsor will arrive with the media interest.

That's what UCI Aigle Center is trying to do, even with the Eritrea guy (sorry but really cant spell his name).

 

[Tuarts]

Yeh and you are white. Get over it ok? The ideal situation was that we didn't look at people seeing a colour, but that's impossible.
It's a fact that Michael Jordan is black and Michael Schumacher is white. What's the problem? There is none.. It's just a fact.

Its not a fact. It's a derogatory and xenophobic term to alienate people and play on people's predjudice and bias towards those they labelled. If the OP if talking about people from Africa then he should have called them Africans, if he's talking about the percentage of demographic from other non-African countries that have African heritage then he should have mentioned that as well. Its the same sort of labelling that happens with religion ("oh he's a catholic/jew/muslim")

You don't talk about Contador, Schleck, Cancellara as 'White', no, you mention their country or continent so why should it be the same for others?

Am I white? How do you know? Sure, roughly 90% (we'll wait and see for the '11 Census for exact numbers) of Aussies are 'white' but you're just making assumptions again. I could be of Malagasy heritage for all you know.

Your being ridiculous. Don't get me started on political correctness rubbish like having to call a blackboard, a chalkboard.

Wow, if I didn't know you're from Melbourne I'd say you were from Cronulla with that sort of talk (of course you maybe too bogan to realise what I'm getting at). I didn't once mention anything to do with balckboards or political correctness.

 

[Dettol]

Nobody knows and as someone said earlier the generalisations here are ridiculous.

Tuarts, I'm pretty sure most African-Americans are okay to be called 'black' but as for Africans themselves who knows?

 

[BroDeal]

Its not a fact. It's a derogatory and xenophobic term to alienate people and play on people's predjudice and bias towards those they labelled. If the OP if talking about people from Africa then he should have called them Africans, if he's talking about the percentage of demographic from other non-African countries that have African heritage then he should have mentioned that as well. Its the same sort of labelling that happens with religion ("oh he's a catholic/jew/muslim")

What a complete load. This posturing over terms is nothing more than word game played by those who are looking for any excuse to be offended. That is why they change the acceptable terms every few years. You cannot win, and it is cowardly to allow such groups to lay a guilt trip on society.

It reached the height of idiocy when media people were so afraid of using the wrong term that they use "african American" when talking about blacks who are not even American.

Find a white guy who gets offended at being called white and you might have a point.

 

[Izzy eviel]

After riding the mean streets of London I would say that if anything it is all down to money, poor tv coverage & peer pressure.

Cycling is expensive. If you do find it on the telly it's hard for a person who has no idea about cycling to have a clue whats going on & have no-one to cheer for. Peer Pressure - All there mates are out hanging with gangs, playing football or just hanging out on street corners with their friends.

That's not to say kids of other ethnicities don't ride bikes - they do, they tend to stick to BMX's & pimped out fixies.

 

[brianf7]

there were a few in the Worlds in Geelong last month loved the wat their coaches/managers were getting into them on the PA in the TT great entertainment.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

The situation is different, I think, in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S. cycling is a predominantly upper-middle class fitness sport (and hence largely white). In Europe the culture of the sport is predominantly white working-class.

There were, however, until recently two black riders on BBox: Rony Martias and Yohann Gene. (I'm not sure where they'll be racing in 2011.)