You win a stage, you change your life - Henok Mulubrhan going for glory at Giro d'Italia
Eritrean talks to Global Peloton ahead of his second grand tour about life at Astana Qazaqstan, big Giro goals and wildly passionate Eritrean fans
Astana Qazaqstan’s Eritrean starlet Henok Mulubrhan is all-in for a stage win at this year’s Giro d’Italia, after re-building his form following a collarbone break early in the season.
A little over two years ago, Mulubrhan was in the cycling wilderness. Having spent two seasons with Team Qhubeka’s development team, he signed for their WorldTour squad. As he was preparing for his first WorldTour season, he got the news that no professional cyclist want to hear - the team had folded at the last minute.
Fast forward to the present day, the 24-year-old is a two-time African champion and is about to start his second Giro d’Italia - his first as a WorldTour rider.
A couple of days before the race start in Torino, Mulubrhan spoke with Global Peloton about his swift rise up the ranks, hopes for the Giro and passionate Eritrean fans.
Global Peloton: Henok, it's your second Giro. What are your memories from this race last year?
Henok Mulubrhan: Last year I was a bit sick in the first week with the weather. But now, looking forward, I hope it's better this year being in a WorldTour squad. This year I'm building improvement. I was in Teide also for the training camp for this Giro. So I hope it's better this year in the Giro.
GP: People often talk about the Grand Tour debut bounce, that your legs get stronger after your first Grand Tour. Have you felt that since the Giro last year?
HM: Yeah, after the Giro I'm getting improvement. After the Giro I won the Tour of Qinghai Lake, Giro dell'Appennino third place. So, yes, your endurance, everything, your legs, improve after that. It's normal after a Grand Tour - it feels to me like that.
GP: Since then, you've joined Astana Qazaqstan, how have you found life in the team so far?
HM: This team is family, everything is going well. This year I had surgery and broke my collarbone. I had bad luck at the start of the season. I stayed one month without the bike, but now I restart.
All the staff here are good. It's the same [as Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè] because also here it’s more Italian, so it's the same. The team is just WorldTour, so a big improvement here and your level is going up.
GP: Looking back a few years ago, the start of 2022. You left Qhubeka, you didn't have a team until Bike Aid gave you a spot. At that stage, did you think that two years later you'd be a WorldTour rider racing your second Grand Tour? It's been quite a journey for you.
HM: Yeah, that moment I almost stopped cycling because you go back from WorldTour to Continental, Bike Aid. It was a really bad moment also for my career, but I don't give up and I got more motivation to work hard to bring back my level to professional.
After I got the opportunity with Bardiani, I bring back what I want. And after a year or so, I got what I dream in the WorldTour. So what I dream, step by step, I am getting more.
I went back to my home in December and they told us the team was stopping. And so where I go? I don't know. Then I go to Bike Aid. It was a shit moment for me, also for the team.
But it's unbelievable to come back for my performance again, especially for the brain. It's harmful for me, that moment. It was really, really hard to bring back. Some people don't understand how I survived to come back. Especially mentally, it's not easy when you get like this. Now it's getting better. Everything's going well, as I want.
GP: This season started off really well, with a second place on stage two of the AlUla Tour before fracturing your collarbone. That must have been a frustrating few weeks, knowing you were in good shape.
HM: [My goal] in AlUla was for the GC, for top three with the team. I have performance that I can do top three, also to win a stage. But in the third stage and fourth stage, I had two-days crashes. And in the fourth stage, again, I broke my collarbone. And after that, the program changed.
After AlUla, Rwanda, I miss Oman, this kind of race. So I stayed away from racing for three weeks, one month almost. It's an unlucky part of cycling.
GP: You've shown that you can climb well and that you are fast in a sprint. have you worked out what sort of rider you are yet? What sort of stages suit you best?
HM: Yeah, like classics, up-down, finish with a bunch, small group, reduced group. I can climb, I can sprint also. I also have a good kick in the sprint. So I'm a punchy rider, I can say.
If it's long climbs, it’s a bit hard for me. But if it's 10k, for me, it's not a problem. If it's long climb with too many climbers, it's a bit hard for me.
GP: Now you come to the Giro, how is the shape as you start the race? How have you prepared?
HM: It went good. I was in Teide for three weeks with the team. After that I planned to go to Türkiye, but I changed because of some problems. I went to Romandie. The weather was not good, but it was good for preparation. I think I'm ready for the Giro. We will see how it's going. I hope for good legs there.
I was in a good level in the Queen stage [of Romandie]. I was with the best guys, I was there. In the other stages, in the first, second stage - a bit cold just in terms of the weather. But in the third stage, I checked my legs with the Queen stage. So I think I'm ready. We'll see how it is going.
GP: Do you know what your role is going to be in the race? The team has riders who can go for the GC and the sprints, will you get your own chances too?
HM: Yeah, I think for the stage. I'm going for a stage victory to try to get the stage victory with a breakaway or something with a reduced group. I would try with something like that. For me, this is my goal.
If you win in the Grand Tour, it changes your life. It was my dream. So if I get there, I already get my dream.
GP: Just like in 2023, you get the chance to wear the African champion's jersey at the race, how does that make you feel?
HM: To wear the African jersey and to show your African jersey in a Grand Tour like this Giro is amazing. And it would be nice if I got a stage victory in it. It would be nice to show with this jersey, because you show the whole continent on your body. So it will be really nice.
GP: Astana Qazaqstan are in a bit of a difficult place in terms of the UCI points ranking, does that add pressure to the team for this race?
HM: For the team, they don't speak to us [about it], but we need points. Also, if you win, the points come. For every team, we need this. You have to win. So we need to win to get points, but we don't have pressure from the team.
GP: You are one of three Eritreans at the race. We know that you guys get a lot of support from your fans and we can expect that at the Giro too. How does that effect you? Do you feel pressure or does it give you some extra speed?
HM: No, it's not pressure, it's more motivation. You think they’re on your side when you see the flag, you get more motivation. You think to yourself, you are in Eritrea!
It's a really big motivation when every race, every stage, they arrive to motivate for us. It's incredible for us. So I hope they continue like this to give us more to achieve what they want.
GP: Do you know any of them personally, or is it different people every time?
HM: Yes, it's different people. But it's just a nation of proud Eritrean people. They come to support. The people really like each other. They protect each other. They are really proud of their country. But we don't know them personally.
GP: And what do you think will happen if one of you wins a stage? The fans will go crazy.
HM: Yes! I think also in Eritrea, they will see the race on the TV or in the café place, every stage. If we win - me or Bini [Girmay] or Amanuel [Ghebreigzabhier] - they will be more happy. They will be crazy, also here and also in Eritrea.
It's the number one sport in Eritrea, so they support. Every family, they will watch the Giro.
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Best wishes for Henok at the Giro and beyond. Now I’m cheering for him too!