De Bod and Abreha find 2025 teams as several Continental rosters revealed
UCI World Cycling Centre 2025 squad revealed and several young Eritreans find contracts as the season begins
It’s a new season, and in January the UCI likes to slowly refresh its website, revealing transfer deals that have been made but not yet announced.
This latest update has shed light the 2025 destinations of several riders and the birth of a few new teams, with more still to be added over the coming weeks.
Stefan de Bod was one of the few remaining 2024 WorldTour riders not to have an agreed contract for 2025, but he has now signed for Malaysian Continental team Terengganu. The South African raced in the WorldTour for six years, first with Dimension Data, then Astana and finally EF Education-Easypost. He will hope to follow the same path as Merhawi Kudus, who raced for the Malaysian squad last year after a spell with EF and secured a two year contract with Burgos BH for 2025. Kazakh climber Vadim Pronskiy has also joined the Malaysian team from Astana.
Another African to secure a ride for 2025 is Ethiopian Negasi Abreha. He has joined Italian Continental team SAM-Vitalcare-Dynatek after two years at professional level with Q36.5. Having been based in Italy since 2020, the team seems a good fit for Abreha, who showed glimpses of promise during his time at the higher level.
The update also revealed the 2025 UCI World Cycling Centre team, with several interesting movements to note. It had already been confirmed that Fariba Hashimi had moved onto WorldTour level with Ceratizit-WNT after her sensation 2024 campaign. Her sister, Yulduz, remains with the team for 2025.
Joining the World Cycling Centre team for 2025 are a couple of very promising African riders. Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay was the 2023 Ethiopian road and time-trial champion. She is currently seeking asylum in the UK and has been supported in recent months by Team Africa Rising and a local cycling club. If her asylum claim is accepted, she will be able to race in Europe with the team. Another interesting recruit is Eritrean Ksanet Weldemikael. The two-time Eritrean national champion looks a real prospect and at 22 she is at a good stage to increase her racing in Europe, if she can get a visa.
Read: How the UCI World Cycling Centre is aiming to globalise cycling
Uzbek climber Shaknoza Abdullaeva moves on from the WCC as well as Rwandan rider Valentine Nzayisenga, who failed to prove herself after three seasons in Europe.
Three Japanese riders have joined Intermarché-Wanty’s development team, Wanty - Nippo - ReUz, after Japanese construction company Nippo added their sponsorship to the team for 2025. Youngster Kazuma Fujimura, track specialist Shunsuke Imamura and 19-year-old Masao Shimazaki are the riders joining the team.
As revealed by Global Peloton several weeks ago, Team Amani have registered a new Continental team to race the African road circuit. They will be registered as a Rwandan team and their full roster has now been revealed. It includes several riders from the Ineos Grenadiers-supported academy in Kenya, which will now focus on youth riders, rather than those already eligible for elite competition. Charles Kagimu, Lawrence Lorot and Paul Lomuria have made the move over. Also racing for Amani will be the likes of Rwandans Eric Muhoza, Samuel Niyonkuru and promising youngster Kevin Nshutiraguma.
Read more: How Team Amani plan to develop African road cycling
A new Moroccan Continental team has also appeared, called Agadir Vélo Propulsion. That team includes the impressive 22-year-old Ibrahim Essabahy who was second at the Tour of Salalah in Oman last year. Reigning national champion El Houcaine Sabbahi also joins the team.
Tashkent City is no more, but it’s not the end for UCI-registered Central Asian teams. A new Uzbek men’s team has appeared, called OU7 Cycling Team and features many of the riders who race for the men’s Tashkent team last year. No women’s team has been registered in Uzbekistan yet. Interestingly, two new men’s UCI teams have been launched in the neighbouring country of Kyrgyzstan. They are called Art Cycling Team and Manas Apex.
Read more: Tour de France Femmes: Tashkent's last rider finishes race on Alpe d'Huez
In more Eritrean news, Bike Aid have extended the contracts of their two riders from the East African nation. Dawit Yemane will race for the German team for a fifth season after winning stage ten of the Tour of Poyang Lake in 2024. Promising young rider Yoel Habteab also extends with the team. Aklilu Arefayne, has signed for General Store-Essegibi-F.Ili Curia after failing to secure a contract extension with Wanty - Nippo - ReUz
Another young Eritrean will get the chance to step up in 2025 as Even Yemane joins Turkish team Istanbul Büyükșehir Belediye Spor Türkiye after a season racing in the Philippines. Yemane won the mountain classification at the Trans-Himalaya Cycling Race in August. He will join two fellow Eritreans in Natnael Berhane and Petros Mengis in racing with the Turkish team.
Chinese team The Hurricane & Thunder Cycling Team have signed South African Callum Ormiston and Mauritian youngster Aurelien de Comarmond.
And finally, Romanian Continental team Monzon - Incolor - Gub have given opportunities to two Asian riders, with Changxin Zhang of China and Ngai Chung Ki of Hong Kong joining the squad.
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