“We really believe in 10 years we can do it” – Team AMANI sets ambitious plan to ride the Tour de France

Team AMANI, co-founded in 2018 by Mikel Delagrange and the late Sule Kangangi, is steadily making its mark in African cycling. The team, whose name means “peace” in Swahili, already features some of the continent’s top road and gravel riders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

“If you told me around the time AMANI was founded that there would be a team with all African riders together on a Continental team, even trying to grow more on gravel and with a women’s team, it’s something that I never pictured is going to happen,” Tsgabu Grmay, the first Ethiopian professional cyclist and now head sports director at AMANI, told Domestique.

Grmay recalled being impressed by the team’s professional setup when he joined: “We had a solid structure before I joined the team. My mind was blown that AMANI’s staff already included the likes of a nutritionist and chef. We still have a lot of holes because it's such a young team. It’s a dream to be part of a big African team. It gives me so much energy.”

Grmay joined AMANI in 2024 after retiring from the WorldTour in 2023, describing the move as a “perfect fit” that allowed him to focus on gravel racing while taking on coaching and management responsibilities. During his tenure as a professional cyclist, he managed to amass the respectable number of 12 professional victories, 11 of them being either national or African championships. He also participated in eight Grand Tours.

“Our dream is not to make a WorldTour team, but to create a Pro Continental team that races the biggest races outside of Africa like the Tour de France. We really believe we can do that with the men and women, and it’s not only going with two or three athletes, we are thinking 20 women and 20 men. We are looking for the best athletes in the continent. Can you imagine this opportunity? It’s something that really excites me.”

AMANI became a UCI Continental squad in 2025, and the team is aiming to become the best African squad in 2026. “That’s a really realistic goal to achieve,” said Grmay. “We don't want our athletes going to Europe and struggling to finish the race. We need to build skill and a winning mentality in Africa first.”

AMANI’s base in Iten, Kenya, was established to adapt Kenya’s long-distance running blueprint to cycling. “Runners have it easier than cyclists because they can prove themselves only with shoes and sponsors invest,” noted Grmay, highlighting partnerships with brands such as Rapha, POC, Factor, SRAM, Wahoo, and Fizik.

These sponsors also support the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, co-founded by Delagrange. “We have a goal in 5-7 years to be on top of gravel,” Grmay said. “Many people know AMANI on the gravel and that’s our core still.”

Two standout riders, Samuel Niyonkuru (22) and Xaverine Nirere (23), both reigning Rwandan ITT champions, lead AMANI on road and gravel.

Grmay calls Niyonkoru “the main guy” on the men’s side. “If Samuel and Xaverine finish in the top 40 that’s a big win for me. Kigali comes a little bit early for us as a team structure to be able to say we can go out there and top 10.”

Niyonkuru recounted his early journey: “I used to watch cyclists passing by every day. Eventually I wanted to try it myself. At the start I only had a small, simple bike, but once I joined the academy I began training regularly on weekends after school. The toughest part was that I didn’t have a proper racing bike. I started out on a heavy single-speed ‘Black Mamba,’ while the other riders had road bikes. It was really challenging, but I didn’t give up. When the academy saw my determination, they eventually provided me with better equipment which helped me progress. Even on the single-speed bike I managed to win small events, and that proved to me that I could achieve more.”

Grmay called Nirere’s progress “pure.” In August 2025, she won the first UCI women’s race held in Africa at the Tour of Windhoek in Namibia, finishing nearly ten minutes ahead of teammate Merhawit Asgodom.

“I have seven siblings and when my brother and I started cycling, our parents didn’t understand it,” Nirere explained. “My grandfather wasn’t a cyclist but he wanted me to do something I love. Even though he didn’t have much money, he gave me money for training every day. When I didn’t finish a race, he told me to just get to the finish line, not to give up. That was the first win for me. He was the one pushing me to get to the next level always. He passed away in 2024 and I ride with his memory. Every victory I take I think about him.”

“I think many people in the cycling world underestimate how much talent there is in Africa and how hard we have to fight just to get on the start line,” Niyonkuru shared. “A lot of riders here grow up with almost nothing – no proper bikes, no nutrition plans, no racing calendar – and still manage to reach a high level. If we had the same resources and opportunities as riders in Europe, I believe you would see many more Africans competing at the very top. What people sometimes don’t realise is that our biggest strength is resilience. We are used to doing more with less. That gives us a special mentality.”

Grmay also added: “I achieved the life I wanted, but these kids are smarter and have more hunger and they want to achieve something because they see the possibility. It also helps me as a coach and gives me more energy to help them.” He emphasized the importance of resources: “It’s all about the budget because once you get that, you can hire the best coaches or best nutritionists and bring them to Africa.”

Niyonkuru sees Kigali 2025 as a pivotal moment: “It’s the turning point that will give African cyclists belief that we belong at the highest level.” He added: “The opportunity provided by AMANI changed everything for me. With more support and investment, I’m sure more Africans will reach the biggest races. I know there are many more young riders across Africa, especially in small villages, who are waiting for their chance to be discovered.”

Grmay underlined that reaching the Tour de France is a long-term goal. “We’re aware of where the sport is and how fast it's growing, but we really believe in 10 years we can do it. People don’t see that there's so much work we're doing behind the scenes, but I'm telling you, it's happening,” he added. “Watch what Team AMANI is going to do in two years, four years, six years, eight years, trust me. I will leave you with that message.”

Grmay is not the only one with that dream in the team. “My goal is to get to the Tour de France and I want to see many other African women there,” said Nirere. “If Team AMANI continues in the way we’re going, I think we will get there.”

“My dream is to compete in the biggest races: the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia,” Niyonkuru claimed. “I believe I have the ability, and with the right backing, I know I can reach that level.”