Can Mauritanian cyclist make women’s tour history for Africa?

When Kimberley le Court pedals up to the Tour de France Femmes start line, the cyclist knows she will represent not just her team but the whole of Africa, reports BBC Sport Africa on July 24th.

Yet, hailing from the tiny island nation of Mauritius, the chance to race alongside the world’s elite once seemed a distant dream.

“I came to Europe in 2015-16, and it was honestly extremely hard for me. My teammates now still laugh about my results back then,” the 29-year-old told BBC Sport Africa. “I just came last every day and was just surviving those races. I was hating it.”

“When I speak to young female cyclists now, I tell them that I come from a small island in the middle of nowhere that for a long time no one had really heard of, and I made it. And if I made it, they can too.”

Le Court describes that first stint in Europe when still a teenager as “a shock to the system”, with both support structures and financial challenges contributing to her struggles.

She returned to the continent, basing herself in South Africa. She rediscovered her form and recorded victories in mountain bike races. She eventually decided to give road racing in Europe another go. “I’m super hungry for more and for new beginnings,” she said.

Le Court secured a contract with the AG Insurance–Soudal team for 2024 but, after overcoming a wrist injury, top-level success has only really arrived in the past twelve months.

In July 2024 – almost 10 years since her debut as a professional – she recorded her biggest win when a gruelling sprint finish on the final stage of the Giro d’Italia saw her become Africa’s first female rider to win a stage on one of cycling’s Grand Tours.

In April she hit the headlines once more, triumphing at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race, again becoming the first African woman to do so.

Now comes her second attempt at the Tour de France, which starts in the historic walled town of Vannes in Brittany, north-west France, on July 26th. “The Tour de France is just next level compared to all the other races,” Le Court explained.

Currently ranked in the top 20 female riders in the world, she is a symbol of success for women’s sport in Africa. ”For me, Kim le Court is a true hope for Africa,” said Georgette Vignonfodo, an 18-year-old cyclist from Benin.

Vignonfodo is part of the Africa 2025 project run by the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, which aims to help talent from the continent access the best training and development ahead of the Road World Championships, which take place on African soil for the first time this September in Rwanda.

Riders like Le Court are the inspiration for these youngsters, and securing a slice of history at the Tour could prove a defining moment in the growth of African cycling.

BBC Sport Africa, Maghrebi.org