These Women Were Some of Afghanistan’s Best Athletes. Then They Started Getting Death Threats.

The day before the Taliban trammeled her freedom, a young woman went for a bike ride. 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. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [These Women Were Some of Afghanistan’s Best Athletes. Then They Started Getting Death Threats.]( [These Women Were Some of Afghanistan’s Best Athletes. Then They Started Getting Death Threats.]( [These Women Were Some of Afghanistan’s Best Athletes. Then They Started Getting Death Threats.]( The day before the Taliban trammeled her freedom, a young woman went for a bike ride. 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. The day before the Taliban trammeled her freedom, a young woman went for a bike ride. 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. [Read More]( [Read More](     [Are There Benefits to Using Compression Boots After a Ride?]( [Are There Benefits to Using Compression Boots After a Ride?]( What to know about this recovery tool before you make the investment. [Read More](   [The Ultimate Guide to Ride Your Best Century Ever!]( [The Ultimate Guide to Ride Your Best Century Ever!]( Everything you need to get ready for your hundo, including picking a training plan, getting the right gear and fit, creating a solid nutrition strategy, and more. 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