Latest Eritrean Cycling Tour Edition Uncorks
 
Tour of Eritrea: A Competition where Showers of Talents are Witnessed
By Essayas Fessahaye (essayasf@yahoo.com)
   
  What is on?
   
  Cycling Tour of Eritrea 2008 has uncorked on Friday 11th April 2008 with 117 km road race and Abrham Belay from Debub zone has become stage one winner while Gigante Cycling Team leading the race in the first day of the race. The national race will continue up until Sunday 20th April for 9 grueling stages with only a day off after five consecutive races. The tour will cover a total distance of 1178 km with an overall 11 climbing contests. More than 100 riders are taking part at the tour that is being held for its 8th time consecutively. An overall 276,700 Nakfa prize money is at stake for individual and team winners.
  The participation of representative teams from each zonal administration makes this tour first of its kind. According to the President of Eritrean National Cycling Federation Mr. Mengesteab Tekie, a UCI representative is on her way to witness Tour of Eritrea for the first time. This is expected to help acknowledge the standard of the national tour competition as an international race recognized under the rules and regulations of the UCI. This is surly the result of the finely honed riders who have been busy registering overlapping victories in different kinds of international competitions in Nairobi (Kenya), Algiers (Algeria), Yaounde (Cameroon) and in different cities of Ivory Coast.
   
  Riders Honing to Perfection
   
  Promising Eritrean riders like Daniel Teclehaimanot, Merhawi Gebrhiwot, Frekalsi Debesay, Dawit Haile and others have been bringing exceptional victories to their home country since their inclusion to the national team every time they participate in different international competitions in the past one year and three months.
  In December 2006, Eritrea excelled in international cycling races at ANOCA competition held in Nairobi, Kenya where Daniel won golden medal in the opening time-trial race. Eritrea stood first with overall two gold, silver and bronze medals in the two days race.
  The Eritrean National Cycling team in Algiers 2007 All Africa Games was on the podium in almost all kinds of prize ceremonies. The team secured its place to win gold medal as best African team of the competition. Individually, Frekalsi Debesay was adorned a historic All Africa Games bronze medal which is first of its kind to Eritrea after Independence. Merhawi Gebrhiwot stood 5th as Dawit Haile and Daniel Teclehaimanot squeezed themselves within the list of top 10 winners, claiming 9th and 10th place. At that moment, Eritrea topped the continent with an overall cycling result both in the junior and senior level, which handed the country unbelievably great honor. It is to be recalled that during the colonial era Tekeste (Gigante) had won gold medal in All Africa Games time-trial competition back in 1970s in Nigeria.
  In November 2007, Eritrean cycling national team took part at the African Continental Championship in Yaounde, Cameroon where about 17 strong African national teams with some professional riders participated. Bereket Yemane pedaled at a speed of 37.762 km/hr to cover a 22 km time-trial competition. He stood 3rd and climbed on the podium with bronze medal. Frekalsi Debesay followed him for a 4th standing pushing 37.273 km/hr as Daniel Teclehaimanot stood 5th pedaling 36.483 km/hr.
  What is more! Looking at this mammoth performance, the Eritrean National Cycling Team received an invitation from the Ivorian Cycling Federation to participate in a prolific Ivorian Tour competition from March 6th to 12th, 2008 where 5 strong European teams and 9 African National teams appeared. Eritrean riders once again were the icing cover to the cream standing ahead of all the other African national teams. Heroic Daniel Teclehaimanot individually outclassed all African riders. Beaten by four European teams, the Eritrean National team took an overall 5th standing. Top of Africans Daniel, on his turn, beaten only by 37 seconds ranked 5th standing behind three French and one Italian riders. Just one month after this particular competition, our top riders are engaged in the on going another enjoyable but hectic competition – Tour of Eritrea 2008.
   
  How It Unfolded
   
  The history of cycling Tour of Eritrea traces back to 1946. At its maiden appearance, about 35 Italian riders dominated the race in number. It is believed that only scanty Eritrean riders took part at the race that went on in mid May of the year 1946. It was a five-stage, 570 km, tour race with only 12 riders completing the race. At that time, the tour set off from the port city Massawa and headed up all the way through the swelling hills to the capital city Asmara on its first ever stage contest. Ironically, when the race was reintroduced after Independence Day its first stage headed down to Massawa from Asmara.
  In 2001, 55 years after the very first tour edition, former Olympian cyclist Mr. Giovanni Mazzola together with Eritrean Cycling Federation reorganized the race on the occasion of the celebration of 10th independence anniversary. From that time on it has become a yearly festive that proves talent, dedication, strength and resistance on the way to success.
  "50 years since what was called Primo Giro Ciclistico Dell Eritrea, I tried my best to organize an Eritrean tour contest in 1996 to commemorate its golden jubilee. However, for some reason it was not successful," recalls Mr. Giovanni Mazzola. "Now that it has become a sporting culture that takes place every year with great preparations," adds the Olympian.
  In the past seven years, five time reigning champion EriTel Cycling team had an upper hand. Its racers flowed on the podium in great number almost every year. This time, Asbeco, Adulis, Gigante, Medeber, and zonal teams from Debub, Anseba, Gash Barka, Northern Red Sea and Southern Red Sea are participating together with the EriTel. Debub, Gash Barka and Anseba teams have been preparing well for this particular race there by proving their strength once again. Debub riders, in particular, have been settled in Asmara to participate in the city’s challenging competitions in order to shape themselves for this national race since last year.
   
  Eritrean Cycling Union: The Moral Fiber of the Tour
   
  The government is allocating huge amount of cash to support the tour. Almost half of it is spent as prize money for motivating winners. This is because there are always dark clouds overhead promising showers of talents in the tour competition. Likewise, to make this happen Eritrean Cycling Union (ECU) keeps its promise of encouraging the riders in the tour. From 2001 on, all the trophies, jerseys (blue, red and yellow coloured), sports wear and safety jackets are made ready by the Cycling Union that is based in Norway and actively run by Mr. Biniam Asmelash. Former cyclist Mr. Biniam Asmelash has handed the materials worth more than 70,000 Nakfa to Eritrean Cycling Federation in the presence of Eritrean Sports Commissioner Maj. General Romedan Osman Awleya on Thursday 10th April 2008, eve of the commencement of the competition. The commissioner admired the ECU’s moral fiber donations and urged them not to drop their exemplary donations in the competition.