Cycling in many nations

 One statistic I heard at the beginning of the World Championships here in Glasgow, was that of the 195 official countries around the globe, 130 are represented here.

Some just by a single individual...and bigger more affluent countries are providing technical and physical backup, either on the track, Velodrome or MTB, or on the road. With both the able bodied, para cycling junior and under 23 events all here, some team support staff haven't been able to be in more than one place at a time...so for example, a friend who is a coach, from Wales, is working with the para team from Slovenia

Quoting the UCI press release as well, about the Refugee Cycling team" The team comprises five road athletes (three women and two men) and a male mountain bike athlete. All living in European host countries, they originally come from Afghanistan, Syria and Iran.28 Jul 2023"

There are men's and women's teams from all sorts of places...the Women's team from Afghanistan are certainly to be respected..even if they aren't amongst the winners, they, like all the others, are taking part in a sport they love.

So many languages combined in one...the love for the bike... especially in the country where it was invented by Kirkpatrick MacMillan at his smithy in Keir near Thornhill in Dumfriesshire