These African riders are still looking for contracts for 2025
The transfer window is almost over but several African talents are desperately searching for a contract to save their careers
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It’s almost November, crunch time for any pro cyclist who has yet to secure a deal for the following season.
This year, the peloton stands to lose quite a few riders from non-traditional cycling nations. The situation looks particularly bleak for Africa, with no new professional riders in the men’s peloton for the second year running and several riders still looking to secure a ride for next season.
This is all evidence to the steady decline in African riders competing at the professional level over the last few years - as explained in Team Manager Kevin Campbell’s open letter on the closing of Q36.5’s development team. Despite all the headlines and all the success, African cycling is struggling.
With time running out, here are five male African riders still on the search for a 2025 team.
Negasi Abreha
24, Ethiopia
2024 team: Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Chances are, if you’re on X, you already know that Negasi Abreha is on the look for a new contract. A couple of weeks ago, Abreha openly shared his situation with a thread of posts which was widely shared throughout the cycling community.
‘I am currently the national champion of Ethiopia and also a pro cyclist for Q36.5 pro team… at least until the end of the year. Unfortunately in September I was informed that my contract will be not renewed for the next year in this team,’ he said.
As I understand it, the post hasn’t yet yielded a confirmed ride for Abreha for next season, although he is in talks with a couple of teams.
Abreha is a victim of the drive at Q36.5 for UCI points and a WorldTour wildcard. Team boss Doug Ryder told Global Peloton a few weeks ago that the team had “struggled” this year, meaning they had to re-double efforts and focus on the ProTeam, leading to the demise of their development squad which has a history of developing African talent.
Abreha is a strong rider who has worked faithfully in the service of others in the last two years on the team. This year, he showed his strength with some eye-catching pulls on the front of the peloton at the Tour of Türkiye and was fourth in the recent African Continental Championships road race.
Stefan de Bod
27, South Africa
2024 team: EF Education First-EasyPost
Probably the highest-profile rider on this list, Stefan de Bod has been a WorldTour stalwart for the last six years, initially for Team Dimension Data before moving to Astana and then EF.
A veteran of four Grand Tours, De Bod is a workhorse on most terrains. The 27-year-old also showed his aptitude for a breakaway at the recent Tour of Langkawi, where he was on the move on stages four, five and six even after crashing hard early in the race. De Bod almost pulled off a surprise stage win on one of the many sprint days in Langkawi, but was overcome by his quicker breakaway companion, Manuele Tarozzi, on stage six.
Luck hasn’t been on De Bod’s side this year, with several bouts of illness hindering progress. He still has lots to give this sport though, and would be a valuable asset to most teams.
Mulu Hailemichael
25, Ethiopia
2024 team: Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
A second Ethiopian on this list. Mulu Hailemichael has been told that his contract will not be renewed with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA for next season.
Hailemichael is a diminutive climber, well suited to the steep terrain he has been training and racing in during his time with the Spanish ProTeam.
It’s been a solid, if unspectacular, year for the 25-year-old. His best result came at the 1.2 Clásica Terres de l´Ebre as he finished 8th up the fearsome Monto Caro climb, crested first by team-mate Abel Balderstone. He has stepped back into a domestique role this year, whereas last season he was able to take more leadership opportunities, resulting in 4th at Okolo Slovenska and 20th in the Vuelta a Burgos.
At 25, Hailemichael might be seen to be past the point where he can grow into a rider that can contend to a good level in Europe. However, it’s vital to see riders from emerging nations in a different light to those in western Europe, the progression curve can be slower. Hailemichael, in the right circumstances, could continue to develop in the coming years.
Nahom Zeray
22, Eritrea
2024 team: Q36.5 Continental Development Team
For most young riders, 11th at the Tour de l’Avenir and top-15s in two UCI 1.1 Italian classics would secure a decent contract for the year ahead. For one reason or another, that hasn’t worked out for Nahom Zeray.
In his last under-23 year, Zeray has shown genuine potential to become a top-level climber. Most times he steps up to the higher level deputising for the Q36.5 ProTeam, he performs - 12th at the recent Giro della Toscana was particularly impressive. Like Abreha, Zeray is a victim of Q36.5’s ‘restructuring’ and re-focusing, without which he’d be a favourite to step up.
Kiya Rogora
21, Ethiopia
2024 team: Maltinti Lampadari-Banca Cambiano
Kiya Rogora was forced to take a move down to national level this season after the late folding of the EF-Nippo development squad at the end of 2023. This year he competed domestically in Italy for Maltinti Lampadari-Banca Cambiano and also rode several races for the Ethiopian national squad. A bad injury at the end of 2023 dented his chances of securing a continental team this year.
His best result this year has been 5th in the African Games time-trial in March. Rogora also placed 12th at the national level Circuito di Cesa in a pretty strong field. Still an under-23, Rogora has lots of room for development.
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Let’s see, Netflix and discovery ..red bull..all land: uncaring big money looking only to sensationalize; Britain still looking for its great white hope; America fixated (by bike brands creating new catergories)..emergent concerns over drugs; the middle ground of bike market disappearing…Asia growing….so- is it surprising that Africa gets screwed ? Racist colonialism still pervades..do you really see colnago buyers wanting their precious status labels ridden by Africans ? ..