The Only Team from Africa, Team Eritrea U-23 will Race at Tour de' L'Avenir France
Posted: 12 Aug 2019, 22:55
Team Eritrea will take part as the only African country to feature as a national team at the tour de l’Avenir (Tour of the future) which is also known as “the future hope and prospects of Tour de France.
The race will begin this Thursday 15th August & will conclude on Saturday 24th August after 10 days of gruelling race without any rest day....
176 riders from 23 countries and 3 teams including the Swiss Cycling centre, for whom Eritrean young athletes rode for for 5 years in a row from 2009 to 2013 with Daniel(2009 & 2010), Natnael (2011 & 2012) & Merhawi (in 2013).
As a current African Nations cup cycling champion winners that was held in Cameroon and the undisputed champion of Continental African cycling championship held in Ethiopia as well as champions of the African cup held for the first time in Asmara, Eritrea earned its place as the only Africans nation to represent the continent. Eritrea has already become the first African nation to represent the continent at the 2012 Tour de l’Avenir 7 years ago...
In 2012, alongside Natnael racing for the Swiss world cycling centre, an inexperienced young Eritrean team had also represented, becoming the first African to feature in the tour de l’Avenir with Tesfom Okbamariam & Meron Amanuel performing particularly very well alongside teammates Meron Teshome, Mekseb Debessay & Elias Afewerki....
With the current crop of young and relatively more experienced Eritrean team, they are expected to race more maturely than their Ncup performance last year in Cameroon which they redeemed themselves the following year sweeping the board...
Whoever the coach is, he has to emphasise on a team work as its expected to be the hardest tour with 20 stages and no rest day.... The team need a a clear strategy, team plan and execution....
With the youngest of the famous Debessay’s cycling family, Yacob Debessay & two great prodigies of the World cycling centre, Henok Muluberhan & greatest sprinter Biniyam Ghirmay as well as an experienced Dimension data feeder team member, Natnael Tesfatsion alongside with great riders such as Robel Tewelde & Daniel Habtemichael, Team Eritrea is expected to perform at the highest level in setting up for stage win in sprint finish for Binyam as well as simultaneously working for Yacob Debessay for the GC & yellow jersey...........
This is our golden chance to put Eritrea on the map as well as helping us secure a maximum number of riders in the world U23 Championship to be held in England next month.... This will also boost our chance for greater presence at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic next summer.