Trip to Rwanda

Who is Marion Clignet and why is she bringing French journalists to Rwanda???

In 1990, Marion Clignet moved from the United States, where she was born in Hyde Park, Illinois, to France, the home of her parents. Since then she has represented France internationally bringing home six world titles, two Olympic medals, and numerous French National titles. Yet she is still referred to as the ‘American’ on the team. Marion has fought many battles in her life, from epilepsy and inflammatory arthritis to the narrow mindedness of certain Cycling Federations. She has been working hard to lift the profile of women’s sport and now finds that Cycling itself, the sport she loves most, is under constant attack.

“Over the past nine years all we've heard on the French TV, radio, print is cycling means drugs, and how can an American (meaning Lance,etc) come in and just win everything, blah, blah,..I’ve gotten into more debates with the French about training ethics, working ethics, etc and at the end of the day I was really starting to get cynical about the French, their attitude on cycling, and where my favorite past time was heading. This year seemed to be hitting an all time high when before the tour the French journalists were accusing anyone and everyone of drugs. I seemed to be feeling more and more cynical towards the French and in particular the French cycling authorities. One day I was reading some information on the internet and I found a link to Project Rwanda. I had heard of this guy with the mustache, Tom Ritchey because people I used to train and race with in the US had ridden for him and because I’ve attended most of the pro men’s team camps here to prepare my seasons and he supplied a good number of their bikes with gorgeous handle bars, stems, etc. etc...I had also seen ‘Hotel Rwanda’ and met another producer who gave us a private viewing of ‘Shooting Dogs’. Right then and there I remember thinking to myself I have to be able to help in some way.... This link to Project Rwanda I was looking at was like a light bulb in my already electric (sorry, couldn’t pass that one up) head, so I wrote to TR who voiced me back... France was just hitting the cycling community so hard and making the general public think that cycling was a negative thing that I had an idea. Let me bring the French sports reporters to Rwanda and show them what ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way' means and cover more bases than one. This is about building as a team, solidarity, cycling, the bike as a tool of hope, economic growth and there is no race, sex, visible ethnic issue at hand here. The French producer loved the idea especially of the Rwandan team, how they started, where they’re going, and the Wooden Bike Classic....and that yes, the cycling community is solid and are world wide amongst men and women and through cycling something other than a blood or pee test will be positive. So, these guys are keen to come over, follow a few of the members of the Rwandan cycling team, speak with Tom, Dan, Jock who are amongst those at the base of this, visit a coffee farm and coffee bike transporters, follow the wooden bike classic and other races before leaving again on Sunday.”

France and the media in general has stayed away from Rwanda since the genocide. By bringing French journalists to Rwanda, Marion will not only open people's eyes to the positive things that cycling and the cycling community has to offer, but also a country filled with stories of reconciliation and healing. A country ready to start anew. So....Ive been in France since 1991, have represented France internationally bringing home 6 world titles, world pursuit record from 1996-2000, and 2 Olympic silvers. And I'm still referred to as the 'American' on the team. I retired from racing in 2004 and worked for a short while as director sportif of the New Zealand national team which was great fun though very little budget and I didn't have enough say in the program that needed a bit of change in order for the team to move forward. For the last two years I've worked as director sportif and coach of a French men's elite 2 team who wanted to move up to elite 1. I've coached several of their riders who have moved up to elite 1 but the club itself doesn't have the budget to move up to elite 1 and I can't do volunteer work for them. 2007 has been a particular year. For women to race in France, the country that organizes the largest bike race in the world yet does absolutely nothing for women in the sport, this is one tough world. I spent over 70% of each season sorting out sponsors, budgets, logistics,etc. In order to get social security I had an elite athlete contract with the postal service that would have gladly hired me as a postman when I stopped racing but that just doesn't fit into my deck of cards....