INNSBRUCK, Austria, Sept 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Ahmad Badreddin Wais fled
the war in Syria four years ago and a long and tortuous journey has led to a
place on a professional cycling team and a fresh attempt at the world
championships.
Wais, 27, was a student in Damascus in 2014 when he fled the war,
travelling through Lebanon, Turkey and Greece before eventually finding
refugee status in Switzerland.
Flying past the finish line of the men’s world championships time-trial
with its dramatic Alpine backdrop, Wais looked just like any other
competitor, except for the word Syria written on his red, white and black
bodysuit.
“That was a really tough race,” he told AFP at the finish line, “and I was
really worried about that climb.
“For a small team the logistics are difficult,” he said as he was greeted
not by a team manager but by his friend, Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser, who
came 17th in the women’s event the day before.
Wais was only able to train along the route once, since arriving in the
Austrian city of Innsbruck, where he is staying at an Airbnb apartment to
keep to his limited budget.
It was his second taste of the worlds, having competed for the first time
in Bergen, Norway, last year.
Asked how it felt to wear the Syrian national colours, a cloud of worry
crossed his face.
“I want to say to everyone in the world, for our young people who are
growing up and learning or training for something, well they need peace to do
that,” he said.
“We hope to stop the war one day soon, for all Syrians.”
“I am here to say to people there is not just war in my country, there is
also sport for example, we are hoping for peace in Syria and the rest of the
world too,” he said.
Wais said he was happy that some of his compatriots at home were once again
able to enjoy sport — the domestic football league has recently restarted.
“Everyone in Syria was happy when the national football (league) came back,
it was a relief,” he said.
“Believe me I have had many hard situations and I can tell you it’s the
same for most people in Syria,” he said.
Wais eventually placed 53rd on the day from a start list of 58, covering
the 52.1 kilometres in 1hr 18min 33sec, about 15 minutes slower than the new
world champion, Australia’s Rohan Dennis.
Elite riders at the world championships will have had a chance to do a full
practice route around 10 times, whereas Wais covered it just the once.
But he is looking forward to a new season and has what his friend Reusser
called a “good sponsorship deal” and a contract with the VIB Sports team.