'We've been at that disadvantage for years' - Meintjes hits back at Kigali Worlds cost complaints

'Maybe it's good that it's in Africa once every now and then, it makes the game a bit fair'

A few weeks ago, I published a wide-ranging conversation with South African Louis Meintjes about possible retirement and his 2025 Giro d’Italia. In addition, we also spoke about the upcoming World Championships in Kigali, to which he shared a unique perspective on the run of complaints from federations about the cost to compete.

Details of that below, plus his view on the state of African cycling right now and a surprising response to whether he is motivated to target Africa’s first Worlds.

No African rider has ridden more Grand Tours than Louis Meintjes. Image: A.S.O./Billy Ceusters

Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark are just some of the nations who have commented publicly on the sky-high cost of competing in this year’s World Championships in Kigali. However, experienced South African rider Louis Meintjes has told Global Peloton that the cost for federations to participate in this year’s Worlds gives just a glimpse into what life is like for those outside of Europe to race at cycling’s elite levels.

“It's always expensive for us,” Meintjes told Global Peloton a few weeks ago. “We've been at that disadvantage for years and we don't use it as an excuse or anything. So, I just took it almost with a bit of humour.”

“I just do find it funny that there's a lot of comments that it's very expensive because if you think like South Africa having to travel always to Europe and especially when it's in Switzerland, having to pay those prices with our currency, it's always super expensive.”

Belgium have now confirmed that they will send a full complement to Rwanda in September, but previously claimed that their outgoings would be as much as double what they were when the Worlds were in Wollongong, Australia, in 2022. Belgian Cycling CEO Nathalie Clauwaert told HLN that “the hotel sector near the capital Kigali is trying to squeeze every last drop out of it, resulting in astronomical room prices.”

Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland among others have decided to sent reduced squads due to financial considerations. Meintjes thinks that in a way the challenges more established cycling nations have faced my help to shift perspectives.

“Maybe it's good that it's in Africa once every now and then, it makes the game a bit fair,” he said.