Eritrea top medals table as home riders falter in African Cycling event
Eritrea’s Henok Mulubrhan celebrates after winning the Confederation of Africa Cycling Road Cycling African Championships elite men's category in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County on October 13, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s performance in the event was less stellar, with local cyclist Ephantus Warutere finishing 27th and Edwin Ndungu coming in 30th. Several Kenyan cyclists, including Cornelius Kemboi, struggled in the competition.
- Kemboi’s race ended in disappointment after his bicycle broke with 18 kilometres to go.
Eritrea proved its prowess in cycling after topping the medal standings as the Confederation of African Cycling Road Race Championships concluded in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County on Sunday.
The Horn of Africa nation amassed a total of 16 medals, including seven gold, five silver, and four bronze. South Africa followed in second place with eight medals (three gold, four silver, one bronze), while Uganda secured third place with five medals (two gold, two silver, one bronze).
The five-day event, hosted for the first time in Kenya, drew significant attention from the local community, despite cycling being a relatively unfamiliar sport in the region. The competition featured cyclists from 16 African countries, with a total of 94 participants racing across various categories.
In the men’s elite race, Eritrea’s Henok Mulubrhan defended his title for the third consecutive year. He completed the race in a time of 3:46:21, securing victory in the final 500 metres after a strategic race filled with attacks from his compatriots.
Henok, who also won the 2022 and 2023 editions, credited his teammates for their support, saying they protected him throughout the race, allowing him to make his decisive move in the final moments.
“It was a good race and a tough one, but for my win today, I want to thank my teammates because they took the lead, and I was cycling behind them, strategising on when to attack. I’m so happy to have won for the third year running,” Henok said after the race.
South Africa’s Emile Van Niekerk finished second, and Uganda’s Charles Kagimu took third place. The men’s elite race saw a highly competitive final stretch, with Angola, South Africa, and Uganda cyclists all exchanging leads in the last 5km before Henok’s decisive sprint to victory.
In the under-23 men’s category, South Africa’s Emile Van Niekerk emerged victorious, followed by Eritrea’s Milkiyas Maekele in second place and Rwanda’s Eric Muhoza in third.
Kenya’s performance in the event was less stellar, with local cyclist Ephantus Warutere finishing 27th and Edwin Ndungu coming in 30th. Several Kenyan cyclists, including Cornelius Kemboi, struggled in the competition.
Kemboi’s race ended in disappointment after his bicycle broke with 18 kilometres to go.
