They led a cycling revolution in Afghanistan where women were forbidden to ride. When the Taliban returned to power, their only hope was a harrowing e

These Women Were Some of Afghanistan’s Best Athletes. Then the Taliban Came Back.

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2024-11-21 05:00:02

They led a cycling revolution in Afghanistan where women were forbidden to ride. When the Taliban returned to power, their only hope was a harrowing escape to an uncertain future.

She wore pants and a long-sleeved shirt under a sky-blue cycling jersey. Her ponytail flew behind her like a flag, free of the hijab she usually wore tucked into her helmet. Her smile was shy but also bold, with a pop of red lipstick.

Reihana Mohammadi was 18 years old, a new member of the Afghan National Cycling Team. She lived and trained in Bamyan, a small and peaceful city in the rugged heart of Afghanistan. On this 20-mile ride she was thinking about her next big race, three weeks away in Pakistan. She hoped to raise her country’s flag in her first international victory.

Riding a team-issue mountain bike, Reihana sailed down a two-lane ribbon of road, through a desert canyon with crumbling walls. Behind her, in a valley framed by peaks, were the ancient cliffs of Bamyan. The city was known for the Bamyan Buddhas, two statues carved into a cliff.

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