"The Jackie Robinson of Cycling"

[Merckx index]

I really had no idea. Why has this taken so long? I remember Nelson Vails way back in the 1984 Olympics was something of a pioneer.

Though there are no definitive records to prove this, Tour organizers say Yohann Gène, a 31-year-old professional cyclist from Guadeloupe, is—so far as anyone can remember—the first black rider to compete in the 108-year-old race.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903554904576462463771685924.html?mod=sports_newsreel

 

[bicing]

WONDERFUL thanks for sharing
I
d been wondering about this for a while, and it's great to see some diversity in the peloton.

 

[The Hitch]

Damn. I never knew this. Had i known i would have made an effort to look for him on tv, especially since Europcar was on the front so often.

Anyway, look forward to those Eritreans making it and for some Kenyans to become climbers.

 

[El Pistolero]

Damn. I never knew this. Had i known i would have made an effort to look for him on tv, especially since Europcar was on the front so often.

Anyway, look forward to those Eritreans making it and for some Kenyans to become climbers.

I saw him a lot. He really stood out and was at the front a lot. How could you miss him? I've seen him more than Frank Schleck.

 

[Rouetheday]

The 'Jackie Robinson of Cycling'? Seriously? Am I the only one here who remembers Robert Townsend in 'American Flyers', a full quarter of a century ago? Oh, wait a sec, that was just a movie, a lame Kevin Costner movie at that. Never mind.... Chapeau, Yoann!

 

[The Hitch]

I saw him a lot. He really stood out and was at the front a lot. How could you miss him? I've seen him more than Frank Schleck.

I spent most of the Tour either reading the forum or playing PCM while listening to Harmonn and Kelly. I would watch mountain stages, and put my head up for sprints but missed some of those too.

 

[Mambo95]

Damn. I never knew this. Had i known i would have made an effort to look for him on tv, especially since Europcar was on the front so often.

Anyway, look forward to those Eritreans making it and for some Kenyans to become climbers.

Talking of which, I saw on twitter that Europcar might be signing that Eritrean who's name I can't remember or spell. Daniel something (rode as a stagliere at Cervelo last year)

 

[daveinzambia]

was great to see Yohann on the front and would be great to see some african riders joining the sport. Am still grooming my son to be the first black winner of the tour.

it seems the combination of cost, dangerous roads and the money to be made from running is preventing a lot of very talented endurance athletes from east africa from moving into cycling.

oh and i would like to add that as the parent of a young black child it really does have an impact when they see a black athlete on the front on the race. maybe it shouldn't but it is inspiring for young kids exploring their place in the world.

 

[MacRoadie]

Well, maybe not in road cycling, but THIS guy is definitely the Jackie Robinson of cycling in general (no offense to Nelson).

Marshall "Major" Taylor

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

We may have found the one rider who likes his handlebars lower than Evans.

 

[the delgados]

Jackie Robinson broke down massive racial barriers to play major league baseball.
Kudos to Yohann, but I'm pretty sure he didn't encounter the same roadblocks in order to participate in the Tour.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Great article. CN should get an interview with him, and Bicycling or Cyclesport should put him on the cover.

The 'Jackie Robinson of Cycling'? Seriously? Am I the only one here who remembers Robert Townsend in 'American Flyers'?!

LOL!

 

[fujisst]

prediction: this thread goes into the gutter in 5,4,3,2,1...

 

[Moondance]

Hmmm... Not the aptest of comparisons. Its not as if the UCI and ASO are/were preventing clearly superior black cyclists from participating in the sport, as was the case with MLB until Robinson entered.

Yet, it's still a nice thing to see. Hope more black athletes from all countries will consider a career in cycling, can only lead to better cycling for the viewers to see.

 

[movingtarget]

I saw Nelson Vails racing Kenrick Tucker, the Aussie champion at the old Camperdown velodrome in Sydney back in the eighties. Vails looked like a colossus on the bike but Tucker beat him in a sprint match off 2-1 on a baking hot summer's day. Tucker was a Commonwealth Games champion at the time I think and was a very good rider but from what I remember, did not have a long career at the top.

 

[Franklin]

Great article. CN should get an interview with him, and Bicycling or Cyclesport should put him on the cover.

I understand your emotion as it's one of the first Africans and the first south of the Sahel African to enter.

OTOH, it's a bit untasteful to handle this as a cultural exotic.

 

[Lanark]

What about the infamous Abdel-Kader Zaaf? He was from Algeria, does that count?