Biniam Girmay and Kim Le Court were crowned the continent’s top riders for 2025 at the Africa Cycling Excellence Awards, held in Kigali. The Rwandan capital, which hosted the Road World Championships in September, welcomed the ceremony that honoured two cyclists with very different seasons.
A mediocre season for Girmay
Girmay received the prize despite a very disappointing season in which he did not manage to win a single race. There were very high expectations surrounding the 25-year old after an impressive 2024 season in which he won three times at the Tour de France, but his level was very far from that.
Despite a solid start of the season in which he was close to winning in Portugal and Spain, he faded away during the spring classics. He seemed to recover his best form in May, as he finished in second place four times, but he couldn't keep it until the Tour, where his only good performance was the first stage (finishing second once again).
It was the fifth time he secured the award, after his triumphs in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. He finished ahead of compatriots Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana) and Natnael Tesfatsion (Movistar), completing an all-Eritrean podium.
Having spent his 5 seasons as a pro with Intermarché - Wanty, Girmay recently announced in an official statement what had been an open secret for months: his departure from the team. He has been linked to the new NSN team (formerly Israel - Premier Tech) for months, although there is no official confirmation yet.
Girmay's season has been disappointing
Le Court's best season ever
Kim Le Court enjoyed a far more successful season on the road. The 29-year-old Mauritian rider crossed the line in first place six times in 2025, and she did so in some of the best races of the women's calendar.
She surprised everyone at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, as she arrived in the group of favourites and outsprinted all of them, including Demi Vollering and Puck Pieterse. She was really solid in some of the most important classics, securing a top 5 in Milano-Sanremo Donne and Ronde van Vlaanderen.
She carried that top shape to the Tour de France, where she became the first African rider to win a stage and even wore the yellow jersey during four days. She also added a Tour of Britain stage and the Giro dell'Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite to her palmarès.
AG Insurance-Soudal was also present in second place with teammate Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, while Ethiopia’s rising star Tsige Kiros, who impressed with seventh place in the junior race at the World Championships, completed the podium.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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