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news
MTN Qhubeka logo.pngPro cyclist involved in race row to donate month’s salary to Qhubeka charity
The BBC reports that a ‘solution’ has been reached after a rider on the African team MTN-Qhubeka was racially abused by a fellow competitor during the Tour of Austria. Belarusian rider Branislau Samoilau, of Pro-Continental team CCC-Sprandi-Polkowice, will reportedly donate a month’s salary to the Qhubeka charity to get more African students on bikes.
It had promised to be a momentous day for MTN-Qhubeka after Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot became the first black African to earn a day in the polka dot jersey following his efforts on stage six of the Tour de France. However, in Austria the team were busy speaking to the UCI after Natnael Berhane was racially abused.
MTN-Qhubeka team principal, Douglas Ryder, called the incident "outrageous" but also claimed that it was by no means a one-off, saying his riders regularly had to battle prejudice and bullying.
“One of the biggest teams in the world last year in the Tour of Spain, when we were trying to bring one of our riders to the front going into the mountains, said: ‘You guys don’t belong here, fuck off to the back of the bunch’.
“We have riders like Tyler [Farrar] and Edvald [Boasson Hagen]; riders who are well respected in the peloton, and they are their team-mates, and they say, ‘Hey guys, come on, these guys deserve to be here’.”
A CCC spokesperson told The Telegraph:
“In the heat of the battle some words have been said by our rider, which were very unfortunate and unacceptable.
“We, as a team, do not tolerate that kind of behaviour and the rider will suffer consequences. Before the next stage the situation has been clarified between two teams and the riders, but we don’t want to get into details.”
Ryder said he believed the solution was that Samoilau was going to donate a month's salary to the Qhubeka charity which provides African students with bikes.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- BBB 2 hours 21 min ago
Inhumane system that now will be getting even worse.
- Bungle_52 5 hours 45 min ago
In case anyone missed it in yesterdays blog here are the two pevious articles. The second one contains the testimony from the driver....
- David9694 5 hours 54 min ago
The old role was appointed at the Mayor's pleasure; is in addition to the permanent staff of the Combined Authority. I'm not sure if Adam was an...
- WillPage 7 hours 20 min ago
Nothing says "welcoming environment" like uniformed thugs, umm I mean "security patrols " roaming the area.
- galibiervelo 8 hours 38 min ago
That is class news. Super bikes and vision. Bet there will be no stand at the Taiwan bike show next year! Big luck to all the team
- Destroyer666 9 hours 20 min ago
Pretty clearly stated several times in the text that the issue was not related just to his son. And besides, everybody watching the races could see...
- Rendel Harris 9 hours 36 min ago
All Fizik and Selle Italia saddles (though not all their other products) are made in Italy I believe, and their 3D printed models definitely are.
- chrisonabike 10 hours 1 min ago
If you're not on the road with a car, I bet its driver is much less likely to swerve into your space *. Because you're not "in the way"! (Any...
- mdavidford 10 hours 18 min ago
The problem with this argument, though, is that it's just not true....
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22 comments
Jesus....
Branislau Samoilau called Natnael Berhane a 'fucking nigger'.
That's the racist bit.
The Protour/World Tour bit really isn't the issue...
Some people read what they want to read.
‘You guys don’t belong here, fuck off to the back of the bunch’
And from an interview in Cycle Sport with a white American dropping down from world tour "This year if I try to slot in at the top they're not making the room. Which is annoying as I'm the same damn guy. But I remember last year not letting guys in from Optum so it's just the circle of life". Is it any surprise that a Pro-Conti team is told to go to the back by a World Tour Team?
The racist comment was 'f**king n***er'.
There are many other places across the web to find out about cycling.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/berhane-racially-abused-at-tour-of-austria
Are we sure 'You guys don’t belong here' is racist? The same could be said for any number of pro continental teams at some major races. All countries and cultures have people with racist views or opinions, I don't think that will ever change, some just publicise it more than others.
Are we sure 'You guys don’t belong here' is racist?
That was after saying they faced prejudice and bullying. Let's chalk it up to bullying
It's difficult, what was meant by 'you guys'? does he mean their team, or black riders? Since the rider has accepted the penalty, I suspect the latter. so yes it is.
You're mixing up two completely different events - re-read the article! We never learned what the racist comment at the Tour of Austria was!
wycombwheeler wrote:
Toxmarz wrote:
Are we sure 'You guys don’t belong here' is racist?
That was after saying they faced prejudice and bullying. Let's chalk it up to bullying
wycombwheeler wrote:
It's difficult, what was meant by 'you guys'? does he mean their team, or black riders? Since the rider has accepted the penalty, I suspect the latter. so yes it is.
My comment wasn't clear. I don't doubt the racism and prejudice as they did accept the penalty, just that the previous posters questioning of this comment being racist is not the correct measure of whether it happened. Comments like these in conjunction with racism and prejudice amount to bullying, and it was presented as an example of bullying not necessarily racism.
Racism hasn't gone away, it's just not on the telly anymore.
no so whispered if you go to pubs in certain areas or do as I did for many years and go to football away games.
It still shocks me at games to hear people chanting racists things then cheering where their black (good) player scores ...
Was he wearing hi-viz?
Eastern European is a bit racist, can't say I'm shocked. It's not as though they're exposed to other cultures all that much. I can only hope that with time this sort of things will be a long lost memory.
Irony alert
I still think UK is very racist - the things that are still whispered is shocking, and the portrayal of migrants by the media is just as shocking!
Not even migrants but refugees escaping war zones, some with bullets or shrapnel still embedded, are being called 'cockroaches' and their sinking boats be left alone so they crown by certain newspaper columnists.
On a side note I have to say MTN are quickly becoming my fav team and represent all that is good in sport (please say no one is doping on their team !!)
The minimum salary is 27,500 Euros, so 2291.7 a month.
...If they get it and don't have to pay any fees to the team from the salary...
A month's salary from a Continental Pro team rider? Jesus, how much are Pros making these days?!?!?!? How can they afford that? It was a little over 10 years ago when domestique teams were living out of cars, and you were considered lucky to get a contract that was still below national poverty level.
Depressing.
Just checking what year it is...2015
Jesus wept....