Posted on 07/10/2015 8:49:08 AM PDT by Loyalist
Another hugely dramatic day at the Tour de France, during which race leader Tony Martin abandoned the race with a fractured collarbone following a multi-rider pile-up and defending champion Vincenzo Nibali allegedly threw a bottle at new race leader Chris Froome, whom he accused of having caused the fall, ended in a racism controversy. It was claimed that an MTN Qhubeka rider was called a “f–– n––” during yesterday’s fourth stage of the Tour of Austria.
The South African team’s principal, Doug Ryder, claimed last night that the incident was far from a one-off, alleging further racist abuse and bullying from within the peloton towards his riders.
MTN Qhubeka, the first African team to compete at the Tour de France since the 1950s, had a bittersweet day. Their Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot made cycling history, becoming the first black African to wear a leader’s jersey at a grand tour when he claimed the polka dot jersey for best climber on yesterday’s sixth stage from Abbeville to Le Havre. But even as the team were wiping away tears of joy, they were simultaneously making representations to the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, to have Belarusian rider Branislau Samoilau, of Pro-Continental team CCC-Sprandi-Polkowice, thrown out of the Tour of Austria for alleged racial abuse of their Eritrean champion Natnael Berhane.
Samoilau is alleged to have called Berhane a “f–– n––” during Thursday’s stage. It is understood that he has paid a month’s salary by way of apology to the Qhubeka charity, which aims to mobilize Africans by providing them with bikes.
No kidding. How dare they use every advantage to get over on the competition. It isn’t like winning is important.
Wow, the first guy in white. Got trammeled over and over.
I thought Condi and Thomas were descended from black Africans. no?
Colin Powell is Bermudan and not African.
There was another cyclist side-drafting him on his left, doing a little rub'n, that caused a cut rear tire.
I just said it LOOKED like he fainted because he went down so hard. At those speeds, stuff happens fast.
..he got pummeled.
Looks to me like some did get wrapped around the pole.
Huh?
Thanks! I saw what you(did’t) say.
I was racing in a pack when some one took out the guy behind me that cause him to fall and shove his handle bars through my back wheel taking me down.
I guess I bounced and got run over I don’t remember anything of the crash except the handle bars going through my wheel.
My helmet was shattered, hundreds of dollars of damage to my bike, lots and lots of road rash a trip to the ER. Lost a few days of work.
I felt I was lucky not to have more damage the speed was 22mph when it happed.
A few years before in the same race one of leading pack got taken out and died due to neck injuries. they were most likely doing close to 35mph on a slight down hill.
come to think of it Ive never “heard” of there ever having been any animosity based on the use of the so called “n word” anywhere in Africa
Riders slid into the pole but not at high speed. The road slowed them down A number of bikes were tangled around the pole.
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