肯尼亚城市竞争成为东非自行车中心

Kenyan Town Vies to Become East African Cycling Hub 肯尼亚城市竞争成为东非自行车中心

MACHAKOS, KENYA—

The sport of cycling has steadily¹ built a following in East Africa in recent years. It doesn’t hurt that two-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya and trained by one of Africa’s best cyclists, David Kinjah. And now the town of Machakos, about 56 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, is trying to become Kenya’s, and perhaps East Africa’s, cycling hub.

They make it look easy...

At elevations² of 1,000 to 1,600 meters [3,280 to 5,250 feet] above sea level, however, cycling these hills is anything but effortless.

That challenge makes Machakos County, Kenya, a showcase venue³ for the abilities of East African cyclists during the second annual Tour de Machakos.

Serious cyclist

Twenty-three-year-old Cyrus Wambua is one of those riders. Born and raised in Machakos, Wambua has been riding since he was a child. He says his mother encouraged him to start.  

“My mother got inspired by that strong guy from the Tour de France, the Lance Armstrong, so I used to read documentaries⁴ and when we were a small kid, they used to tell us that one day you’ll race like Lance Armstrong,” said Wambua.

Uganda’s national cycling coach, Jesper Fiedler, says this is one reason why Kenya's and East Africa’s cycling community has continued to grow over the years.

“Partly, it’s the exposure on TV. More people can watch these races on TV, and then the more people who are riding around in different towns around East Africa, the exposure’s just bigger," said Fiedler. "So people, they see, and they say, ‘Maybe we should pick up this sport.’"

Race organizer Alex Tibwitta said Machakos has it all: Nice hills, well-maintained roads, good descents⁵ and a government that supports the cycling community.

“I’m pretty confident that with the right nurturing⁶, this is definitely the best place to base a sort of cycling in Kenya, and probably in East Africa, yeah,” said Tibwitta.

Kenya's tradition

Some of the best marathoners in the world either live or train in the Kenyan towns of Eldoret and Iten, locations that are known for their high elevations. Some cyclists think Machakos could eventually have that same reputation.

“So definitely, this is a perfect place. If somebody wanted to build a camp up in the hills at maybe 2,100 meters [6,890 feet], you’re more or less at the same level, as let’s say, Iten. So for sure, this could become a new cycle hub as well, that’s a perfect setting here, perfect, really good,” said Fiedler.

And for cyclists like Wambua, that would be very good news indeed.

“I like cycling so much because as a sport, it always keeps you busy in that you avoid bad company, don’t take drugs, even on the other side, it’s a source of living," said Wambua. "You can earn something from the cycling event and you push your family, you do your things, and that’s all.”

The Tour de Machakos is the biggest road race in Kenya, covering 400 kilometers around Machakos County.

This year there were 130 registered cyclists — double last year's number of entrants.

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 elevations   

（水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升

参考例句：

• Weight of the crust changes as elevations are eroded and materials are deposited elsewhere. 当高地受到侵蚀，物质沉积到别的地方时，地壳的重量就改变。
• All deck elevations are on the top of structural beams. 所有甲板标高线均指结构梁顶线。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 documentaries   

n.纪录片( documentary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• As for 'documentaries', these too are not altogether new. 至于“资料性文学”那也并不完全是新鲜事。 来自辞典例句
• These are not just animations live-action films, comedies, dramas and documentaries. 这些不仅仅是动画片，还包括表演摄制影片，喜剧，戏剧以及纪录片。 来自互联网

5 descents   

n.下降( descent的名词复数 )；沦落；下坡；血统

参考例句：

• But it is more important not to think lies, or to slide into those mechanical and untruthful habits of thought which are so pleasant and so easy as descents to mental ineptitude. 但是更重要的是不去想谎言，也不陷入无意识的、不诚实的思维习惯，这种思维习惯如此他令人惬意和自在，就象沦为智力低能一样。 来自《用法词典》
• On the descents, cyclists spin past cars, freewheeling downhill at tremendous speed. 在坡道上，自行车手飞驰着超越了一辆辆汽车，靠着惯性一路疾冲下山。 来自辞典例句

6 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。