\n<\/p>\n
Maekele, a tall, thoughtful and articulate young man, now aims to repay Bike Aid’s faith.<\/p>\n
He began to do that at the Tour of Mersin in Turkey, securing third place in Sunday’s final stage and finishing 13th in the points classification.<\/p>\n
Fellow Eritrean Metkel Eyob, who also raced at the event, sees Maekele as a rider with “real sprinting talent”.<\/p>\n
“His explosive acceleration and fearless racing style mark him as another future contender from Africa in world cycling,” Eyob said.<\/p>\n
“He has the natural speed and hunger to become Eritrea’s next great sprinter.”<\/p>\n
While Girmay is the poster boy for African cycling on the elite stage, the number of professionals from across the continent is steadily increasing.<\/p>\n
There were a total of 17 entrants from Africa among the 171 declared starters at the Tour of Mersin, making it the largest ever such contingent at a professional road race sanctioned by the world governing body (UCI) on European soil.<\/p>\n
According to Team Africa Rising, a non-profit organisation which helps riders and teams access equipment and training, there are almost 150 male and female riders from the continent who hold professional deals this season.<\/p>\n
Those are encouraging numbers just five months away from the UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Africa for the first time when Rwanda hosts in September.<\/a><\/p>\n “Seeing the start list for the Tour of Mersin, I had a real feeling of affirmation that all the work we have been doing since 2007 is really paying off,” Team Africa Rising chief executive Kimberly Coats said.<\/p>\n “This year is a key moment for cycling in Africa. It is just brilliant to see the growth.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n