"I see with my own eyes how much talent there is in Africa, but it is incredibly difficult to break through" - Tour du Rwanda stage winner Mulubrhan on Africa's development

25-year old Henok Mulubrhan is at the Tour du Rwanda and has won stage 1 in a slightly uphill sprint. The Eritrean rider is one of Africa's top talents and most prominent riders, and he has extensively talked about the potential of new riders, and his own ambitions.

“It is also the most important race of the year for African cyclists. Unfortunately, there are only a few races on the African continent where local riders can show themselves to the general public," Mulubrhan said in an interview with Wielerflits. "More of these stage races should be organized, but that is not yet the case.”

The Rwandan race is uitimately the content's top event throughout the year, but this year it is heavily marked by the armed conflict that will at some point be only dozens of kilometers away from the race route - which saw at least one team pull out of the race. The World Championships will take place in Kigali this year, and so the spotlight is on the nation like never before.

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“I am reassured by the maximum measures taken by the organization and I am convinced that everything will go well all week. I am happy to be here. I absolutely wanted to ride here, to show myself on my own continent and hopefully win the final victory with the national team again," Mulubrhan assures. He was asked about the development of Africa's new talents, mainly how some have inspired him and many others.

“It all started when Daniel Teklehaimanot was allowed to wear the polka dot jersey in the Tour [de France] for the first time in 2015. That also inspired me at the time. Many more people started cycling in Eritrea then and the race is also popular in Rwanda [...] And since Bini won Gent-Wevelgem and at the Tour, the attention has only increased.” It's safe to say cycling's popularity in the region is at an all-time high, and the World Championships may be a crucial stepping stone for the future. 

"Of course it is only one event, but it is a very good opportunity for young riders to show themselves. However, more races are needed than just the World Championship. It is very difficult for young riders to get a contract proposal from European teams, because they cannot ride themselves into the spotlight. I see with my own eyes how much talent there is in Africa, but it is incredibly difficult to break through. The more races, the more chances for that final push.”

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The Eritrean himself will be at the Worlds, likely as the country's best card as it is hard to imagine Biniam Girmay will be fit to challenge the favourites on such a difficult course. “The course will be extremely difficult. The roads often remind me a bit of Belgium with a lot of short climbs and a nice atmosphere. I will do my utmost to achieve something there, but it is already good to have a World Championship in Africa.”

However as for the upcoming months, the XDS Astana Team rider will be looking to take on some quality results and is also bringing in important UCI points for the Kazakh team. “I have definitely taken an extra step by spending a lot of time in the gym and working on my sprint. My new trainer Vasilis Anastopoulos he made me stronger and pushed me even more towards ‘finishing’. It is my ambition to win a WorldTour race. There are great opportunities in Tours such as Catalunya and Romandie.”

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