Chris Froome was born in Kenya and schooled in South Africa. Photo: Sky Sports
Chris Froome is hoping that his Tour de France win will inspire young Africans to take up cycling and help promote the sport on the continent.
The Team Sky leader, who first began riding on dirt roads in Kenya, completed a remarkable rise up cycling’s ranks by securing a maiden yellow jersey in Paris on Sunday night.
Only six years earlier, the 28-year-old Briton had been studying for an economics degree at the University of Johannesburg and was still an amateur.
An offer to ride in Europe led to a contract with Team Sky, the biggest team in the professional peloton, and he has since gone on to become the number one stage-race rider in the world.
His dominant triumph in the 100th edition of the Tour also followed on from South Africa’s Daryl Impey becoming the first African to wear the maillot jaune, and Kenyan-born Froome is keen for their combined achievements to aid the development of cycling in impoverished nations.
“I think it is still early days, but there are things I would like to do to promote cycling in Africa, in under-developed countries,” Froome said. – Sky Sports
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