– That he joined the Bahrain Victorious team, which was created primarily to erase the sporting image of a country that systematically violates the human rights of its citizens, that tortures and executes dissidents, is a clear failure of feasibility test (his own systematic review of the business, our notes), if such a thing was done, by his side.

This is what human rights activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei told Landevei.

Alwadaei works for BIRD (Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy), and was previously imprisoned and made stateless by the Bahraini regime. He lives today in London.

Torstein Træen has received criticism coming from Alwadaei.

– Have you ever thought about being actively used for sports washing purposes and directly or indirectly becoming an advertising poster for government authorities in Bahrain?

– The reflections I make around this concept are based on performance. My motivation is to become the best cyclist. “Among the options I have, I believe Bahrain is the place where I have the best chance of achieving that,” the 28-year-old told Landevei.

Appear

Before the Tour de France, Træen was a very minor sensation after he finished 8th overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Therefore, he entered the world’s most prestigious cycling race with interest from several big teams on the WorldTour. A fall in the opening stages, and a broken elbow turned everything upside down.

Despite a downturn in sports on the tour, some teams have seen what they need.

In a short and slightly sarcastic message on the team’s website, confirmed Bahrain Victorious last week that the Hønefoss men had chosen to go there.

– They believe that I can continue to develop, even though I am already 28 years old. That makes the choice easier. And I am satisfied with the choice I have made, even though it will be very different from Uno-X, says Træen.

– Kill and torture your opponent to death

Træen’s signed concept for the next two years is still being debated.

Even before the Bahrain team hit the road – then UCI president Brian Cookson received reports of concerns about mastermind and initiator Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, often referred to simply as Prince Nasser.

Alwadaei was part of the protests against the regime in Bahrain as a result of the “Arab Spring”.

– In February 2011, I joined the mass protests that took place in Bahrain against the dictatorship. The government reacted to the peaceful and legitimate demands of the demonstrators with violent attacks, killing demonstrators and torturing those arrested to death, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei told Landevei – and continued:

– I was among hundreds of people imprisoned after a quick and sham trial in a military court for taking part in the protests. Many others are currently serving life sentences in Bahrain for their roles in pro-democracy protests.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei also experienced family members being imprisoned and tortured, as a result of his activism. Read more about the story (+)

BRUTAL PRINCE: He lost his diplomatic identity in the UK due to allegations of human rights abuses in Bahrain. This still does not prevent Prince Nasser from forming a cycling team and bringing in Vincenzo Nibali as its leader ahead of the 2017 season. Photo: Cor Vos

Acknowledge: – Having homework to do

Træen said he had a few more options in terms of new teams, but Bahrain stood out in terms of sport.

– I can also mention that I will stay and pay taxes in Norway, so I’m not doing it here for the money. I did it for cycling.

– Can you reveal anything about the size of the offer compared to what you have?

– I don’t want to say how much money I earn, but I want to earn more than I earned at Uno-X this year, he said.

In this article you can read more about Træen’s assessment for transition! (+)

A cyclist, Træen is a climber, and he told Landvei that his motivation for joining the concept was based on sport.

– There is something when I’m going to try something else, I want to stay as far away from Uno-X as possible. No matter how happy I am in the team. I wanted to try something different from the coaches I had for the last 12 years. I wanted to try a different structure and get a slightly different boost, to see how far it could go, he reasoned.

However, the tree admitted that it should have taken a closer look at the Bahraini regime.

– When I heard the way you presented it, it became clear that maybe I should have known him better. But I still have homework to do until I talk to you again, he said.

Why are regimes like Bahrain so controversial and how do they operate? Raftostiftelsen and Amnesty Norway tell the story more about that here:

SPORTS SUCCESS: Team Bahrain won three stages during this summer’s Tour de France. Photo: Cor Vos

– Send messages to prison cells

The non-profit organization Raftostiftelsen works to promote human rights and democracy. An important part of this work is the distribution of the Rafto prize every year.

In 2013, this award was given to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR). They received the award for their “long-term and courageous work for fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression and association”.

– Bahrain is a kingdom where the king and royal family rule everything. This is a very authoritarian regime – a regime that cracked down hard on the opposition after the Arab Spring in 2011. They used torture and imprisoning the opposition as their tools, Raftostiftelsen’s general manager, Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt, told Landevei.

What is curious about sports washing in sports today is that it is done completely openly.

On the websites of the two Bahraini ventures (cycling and triathlon) it describes the “strong ties with the royal family in Bahrain” and the vision of Prince Nasser.

Among other things, it is stated on the Bahrain Victorious website that they aim “show the ambition and optimism of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the world».

DAILY MANAGER: Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt at Raftostiftelsen. Photo: Hans Jorgen Brun

– Why is this done openly, if they don’t save themselves a lot of trouble by hiding behind a fictitious straw company or something?

– This is a fairly classic sports washing machine. I think they want to give a positive image of the rulers in Bahrain. This project is related to the royal family and their prestige. When they are open about this, and when sporting achievements are recognized internationally, it helps to legitimize the royal family and the regime, Kobbeltvedt said.

He believes it was all a direct message to the prison cell:

– Those imprisoned and tortured in Bahrain say that “the world doesn’t care about you”. It is a demonstration of power to show it in this way and that they can be sure of this.

Raftostiftelsen’s Kobbeltvedt said he understands that athletes who play individual sports and like to be financially independent choose to approve the venture.

At the same time, he pointed out:

– [D]this does not absolve you of the responsibilities you have as an athlete. I probably wouldn’t recommend anyone join the Bahrain team, but what’s more important is that the association addresses issues and develops guidelines.