From Kayonza to the streets of Italy, on a steel-wheeled bike
The main road through the village of Kayonza in the east of Rwanda is a dusty brick boulevard, flanked by deep gutters. The cobbles, laid in neat circles, are covered in the same light dust as the pavements on which dozens of bicycles are parked.
They are the steel, thickwheeled bikes of commuters, strong enough for Africa and the cobbled roads of Kayonza.
Joseph Areruya, who became the first Rwandan cyclist to win in Europe on Wednesday, was born in Kayonza on New Year’s Day, 1996. The 21-year old won the fifth stage of the under-23 Giro d’Italia on a cobbled street in Senigallia on Italy’s east coast.
After thanks and dedication to his mother, Areruya, who rides for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s feeder squad, was already looking ahead.
Just five years after he began racing, he wanted the big show: “My dream is to compete in the Tour de France, the biggest race of all, and showing how Daniel Teklehaimanot, an African rider among the great, succeeded.”
Teklehaimanot of Eritrea became the first African to wear a leader’s jersey in a grand tour when he led the King of the Mountains category at the 2015 Tour. Areruya does not have to look far for inspiration from African riders.
His countryman, Adrien Nyonshuti, was born in a village an hour away from Kayonza. Nyonshuti, who is with Dimension Data’s World Tour team, has for years been breaking barriers, spending most of the past decade with the South African outfit. In 2009, he became the first Rwandan professional cyclist to race in Europe. He was the first Rwandan cyclist to take part in the Olympics in 2012.
Areruya is a product of the Nyonshuti Cycling Academy in Rwanda. A young Nyonshuti was assisted in his early riding days by Areruya’s father, who was also a cyclist.
Nyonshuti paid back that kindness by putting an 11-yearold Joseph on a bicycle, and became a mentor and friend.
“In 2013, a 17-year-old, Areruya finished ninth at the Rwandan national road championships, his first notable result,” reads a history from Dimension Data. “Two years later, Areruya placed second at the national champs and went on to finish second overall at the Tour du Rwanda, a remarkable performance for a 19-yearold racing in the elite category.”
A string of consistent results throughout the African Continental circuit in 2016, including winning the Circuit International Constantine in Algeria and a stage win at the Tour du Rwanda, led Dimension Data’s Continental team to sign Areruya for his first full season in Europe for 2017.
It was some week for black African cycling in Italy. Areruya’s teammate, Nicholas Dlamini, from Cape Town’s Capricorn township, led the King of the Mountains category at the under-23 Giro d’Italia.
The race is a pointer to the future. Fabio Aru, Francesco Moser, Marco Pantani and Gilberto Simoni are previous winners of the “Baby Giro”.
Dlamini, 21, also dreams of riding in the Tour de France. His path to Europe was made that much easier by Sven Thiele of the HotChillee cycling company, who spotted his talent and opened doors.
Dlamini, who lives with the DiData team in Lucca, Italy, still stays with his family in Capricorn, near Cape Town, when he comes home. Light shines through the cracks in the corrugated iron that make up the walls of his room and which are covered with cycling posters and medals.
Three dogs ensure that burglars don’t make off with his expensive Cervelo bike. The realities of being an African cyclist are that nothing comes easily. The road to Europe is a tough one.
Dlamini told Rouleur magazine this year that the step up from racing in Africa, where you are “among the best of the riders”, to Europe, is an enormous change, physically and mentally.
Dimension Data’s philosophy is to use the experienced riders on their team, both European and African, to teach the young Africans the way of things.
Ben Swift, who rides with South African Louis Meintjes on the UAE Abu Dhabi team, has been coming to SA for the past five summers. He can see the change in the Africans, and how quickly they learn.
This week, the world of cycling will have noted the names of Areruya and Dlamini. From Kayonza to Capricon, Africa is rising.