Africa Rising Cycling Podcast

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  Tshenolo - Africa's Newest Women's Pro Cycling Team & Tour du Burundi Preview 18.08.2026 21хв

  The Tshenolo Women's Pro Cycling Team is a new African women's team, African-owned, and based in South Africa. The team is considering moving to the UCI Continental level for 2027, however for now is racing across South Africa and all relevant African races. We caught up with the team's Sport Director, Durwan Benjamin, and Lucy Young, one of their top riders, to talk about the team, the Tour du Burundi Feminin, which started on Sunday, and the riders she feels will be in contention.This race is the only UCI women's stage race on the African continent in 2026. At the time of this podcast going live, the 20yo Kazakhstan national champion Yelizaveta Sklyarova has won the first two stages, with riders from Team Amani and Tshenolo filling the rest of the top nine GC spots. Burkina Faso's strong rider Lamoussa Zoungrana has fought her way into tenth spot as well. Give the Tshenolo Women's Pro Cycling Team a follow on Instagram and we wish them well for the rest of 2026 and into 2027! #WatchTheFemmes #AfricaRising
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  Meet Senegal's New National Champion: Neriah Meunier Sow! 04.08.2026 23хв

  We always are looking for stories to tell about Junior or U23 African riders as they represent the future of cycling on the continent. Our latest podcast features 21-year-old Neriah Meunier Sow, the new National Champion of Senegal!Neriah currently races for the Surne Bilbao Cycling Team in Spain as part of an international 20-rider squad of U23 athletes. He took Senegalese citizenship in 2025, with strong family ties to the West African country. He talks through his family connections, his love of the culture and how he got into cycling. Another African with Alberto Contador as his hero as a young rider.We talked to him about his career so far, his hopes and dreams for his career, and his advice for young riders trying to make it in pro cycling! Thanks for your time Neriah!
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  Kim Le Court Pienaar Talks Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026! 28.07.2026 12хв

  With just four days to go to the start of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, we joined the official AG Insurance Soudal press conference, to hear from Mauritius' Kim Le Court Pienaar about her preparations for this year's race.Despite her big crash and wrist injury earlier in 2026, her recent performance at the women's Tour du Suisse shows she is in great form. Hear her thoughts on her recovery, her preparations and strategy for the 2026 race.
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  Qhubeka Day at the Tour de France! 20.07.2026 21хв

  Saturday 18 July was "Qhubeka Day" at the Tour de France. The stage and the whole day is dedicated to the South African charity which manufactures new African-designed bicycles and distributes them to schoolchildren in the poorest areas of the country. This hugely reduces the time it usually takes them to walk to and from school, improving attendance and results, as well as significantly improving their individual safety.Qhubeka - and the French domestic charity Secours Populaires - are the principal causes of the Tour de France's "Un Vélo pour Tous" (A bicycle for all) commitment to cycling mobility. As part of this program, more than 7,500 bicycles have been donated.We caught up with Anthony Fitzhenry, the Founder of the Qhubeka Charity, in Mulhouse after the day's celebrations had taken part, to hear all about the charity, and some of the moments that took place today, including Sir Mark Cavendish talking about his experience at Qhubeka distributions.You can see the 2026 TDF & Qhubeka promotional movie here, and to find out more about the charity, or to make a donation, visit their website: www.qhubeka.org#LAveniràVélo #BicyclesChangeLives
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  Namibia's Toughest Road Race Returns: Check out Next Month's Pupkewitz Megabuild Tour de Windhoek! 13.07.2026 14хв

  On this week's episode, we spoke with Gerhard Breed, the President of Windhoek Pedal Power, and the Race Organiser of the 2026 Pupkewitz Megabuild Tour de Windhoek - powered by Pupkewitz Motors! This race is Namibia's premier multi-stage cycling event, showcasing the breath-taking landscapes of the country across five thrilling stages, and is one of southern Africa's top races.Participants traverse diverse and technical routes that test endurance and skill, culminating in a grand finale and prize-giving ceremony at Pupkewitz Megabuild Lifestyle.Listen to a full run-down of all the exciting things happening from Gerhard, including a children's race, a night race, a big cycling expo, and a criterium. All with some impressive prizes!To register or to find out more, visit the Pupkewitz Megabuild Tour de Windhoek website!A week after this event, the UCI African Continental Gravel Championships will be taking place in Namibia. By taking part in the Tour de Windhoek, African riders can acclimatise to Namibia's altitude, and then race the Gravel Conti Championships! Taking part will give riders the right to enter the UCI Gravel World Championships, so it would be a week well spent in the beautiful country of Namibia. To find out more about the Gravel Conti Championships, visit their official website.
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  Race To the Sky! 17yo Jonathan Muhawenimana takes on the iconic Mt. Blue Sky Hill Climb! 08.07.2026 22хв

  On 29 March 2026, 17-year-old Jonathan Muhawenimana won the Rwandan Junior MTB XCO National Championships. This was a great win for a rising young Rwandan cycling star.Jonathan is the son of Rafiki Uwimana, who, alongside Adrien Niyonshuti, was one of the founding riders of Team Rwanda 20 years ago. Jonathan is currently in the USA on a training and racing program, and we would like to give a shout-out to the awesome Excel Sports for sponsoring Jonathan! Our podcast today is with Ryan Petry, the Creative and Community Lead for the iconic Mt Blue Sky Hill Climb.The Mt Blue Sky Hill Climb will take place on 25 July, and is a legendary 27-mile ride up the highest paved road in North America. The ride was established in 1962, and the organisers close the road to the top for riders' safety.The Climb is in honor of Bob Cook, a US Olympian and record holder. Bob Cook died of brain cancer at the age of 23, and the Hill Climb is a memorial to this extraordinary athlete. We hear Jonathan's hopes for the race - give him a follow on Strava to see how he does - some tips from Ryan on how to handle this really challenging race, and lots more!Give the race a follow on Instagram, and we will of course be sharing Jonathan's results as they are confirmed.
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  Its National Champs time! Our review of all the action 30.06.2026 30хв

  Per UCI rule 1.2.029: "National road championships shall be organised during the last full week of the month of June" and over the last few days, we have seen 12 African nations organise their National road championships, including Eritrea, Algeria, Mauritius alongside relatively new countries like Kenya and Eswatini. South Africa and Namibia held theirs in February.On the podcast today, we talk through:- The vital nature of National Championships in terms of riders experiencing a UCI-sanctioned race, still rare for a lot of young African riders; - A deep-dive into the results of the top African nations; - The breaking news that it seems that Rwanda did not register their National Championships with the UCI, and Kim's experience with this situation in Benin in 2021; and- How several nations, including Cote d'Ivoire (the nation of current UCI Confederation of African Cycling President) did not register their National championships with the UCI at all.We have a comprehensive database of all UCI-sanctioned race results across Africa on our website.We are also very happy that several of the riders who won either ITT or Road Race titles feature in our recently published 'Top Ten Next Gen' article for Rouleur Magazine. Check it out!
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  Operating in the heart of the DRC - Meet Goma Cycling Club 25.06.2026 29хв

  Over a decade ago in the DRC, Charles-Guy Makongo already had his hands full helping the country's most vulnerable people access justice and avoid violence in his day job working there as Country Director for the American Bar Association. However, in his free time, after meeting them when out for a bike ride, he took some 30 teenage cyclists under his wing and created the Goma Cycling Club.Fast forward ten years, and one of the club's young talents Joel Kyaviro stood on the podium as a stage winner at the 2026 Tour of Cameroon - the DRC's first ever UCI race win!Listen to Guy as he talks passionately about building a safe and positive environment for these young people; how an article in The Guardian by Ruth Maclean and Caleb Kabanda got them international attention and donors; and how they continue to foster young talent in a very difficult environment.In early 2025, Africa Rising Cycling partnered with Goma CC and some of its European donors, and supplied new Zwift Hubs and Wahoo HRMs for them to train safely, as riding outside was impossible with a conflict with Rwanda raging all around. The ability to continue training and operating kept Goma CC going through the conflict. We thank our partners Zwift and Wahoo for saving this vital club in the region.Goma CC is always looking for donations, bikes, clothing, bottles, and equipment for their riders. To get in touch with them, contact Guy on: charlesguymakongo@gmail.com Give them a follow on Instagram too. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, please share on your social media!
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  Season 2: Creating a Cycling Culture in Africa: Meet Village Bicycle Project 17.06.2026 29хв

  As the first episode of our new season, this discussion could not be further from recent podcasts talking about African professional cycling, however, as we will discuss, they are still linked, all through the bicycle.In this episode, we are talking real grass-roots cycling. We are joined by Joshua Poppel, the Executive Director of the Village Bicycle Project (VBP) non-profit. VBP has been operating in Africa for over two decades, aiming to empower communities by strengthening bicycle culture. Their programs couple quality subsidized bicycles with hands-on maintenance training for new owners. They also give village bike mechanics detailed training along with access to specialized bike tools and spare parts. VBP is focused on Sierra Leone and Ghana.We discussed VBP's mission, and their impact to date; the changes Joshua has seen in both countries through the acceptance and passion for cycling across communities; the evolution of cycling as a sport, notably in Sierra Leone through the tireless work of their partner Abdul Karim Kamara (CEO and Founder of Tour De Lunsar and the Lunsar Cycling Team) and the success of the Tour of Lunsar there in getting local people excited about cycling; Joshua's recent participation in the SUFFER event (An Africa Rising Cycling fundraider in the USA) and the launch of a SUFFER Wyoming Gravel event in September (contact info@teamafricarising.org for more info!); and finishing on the need for more cycling-related infrastructure across Africa, with Kimberly highlighting Benin's recent investment in bike lanes in the capital city of Cotonou.Joshua shares at the end how they are always in need of bicycles, bike parts, board members and of course donations. Check out their website for more details on getting involved! Give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram to see updates on their work.
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  Meet Madar Pro Cycling - Africa's #1 Men's UCI Continental Team 09.06.2026 23хв

  This week, we sat down with Dahmane Abdesslam, the Principal of the Madar Pro Cycling Team. Madar are African-owned and registered in Algeria, and have had a nix of Algerian, African and international riders on their roster., since launching as a UCI team just two years ago. Their ProCyclingStats bio can give you more infomation.Algerian star riders like Azzedine Lagab and Youcef Reguigui have been on their roster, and in 2025 they were the #1 African UCI Continental Team, and broke into the Top 50 teams globally. On 5 June 2026, they won the Tour de Maurice, as well as taking the coveted KOM Jersey.Our CEO Kimberly Coats and our Podcast Host Jeremy Ford talked to Dahmane about the team, their strategy, Algerian cycling and women's cycling there. We hope you enjoy!
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  Racing Recap: We take a look at how African riders and races are doing (so far!) 02.06.2026 30хв

  As we enter June, we thought it a good time to do a quick recap on some of the big headlines in African road cycling so far, and some things to watch out for in June:We take a look at the men's and women's UCI league tables for the 2026 season so far. Eritrea dominates the men's rankings taking the 1-5 spots, and kudos to Eritrean Natnael Tesfatsion (Movistar) for topping the men's league table, the first time Biniam Girmay has been de-throned in several years!We talk through some of the big moments from the recent UCI 2.2 Tour du BeninWe hear from special guest Michel Mayer, the President of Mauritius Cycling and on the organising committee of the Tour of Mauritius (starting today - 2 June). Start-list on ProCyclingStats here.Some initial insights on the Tour of Cameroon (starts on 3 June) Start-list on ProCyclingStats here.and finally: a quick preview of the dozen or so National Road Cycling Championships taking place in late June. You can see a full list on our website HERE.We hope you enjoy this episode! Let us know feedback in the comments!
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  Truly Africa's Team: The Amazing Work of Team BIKE AID 26.05.2026 30хв

  In this episode, we sat down with Matthias Schnapka, the owner of Team BIKE AID, one of the most prolific supporters of young African professional cyclists in history.BIKE AID is a German professional cycling team founded in 2005 as a non-profit association, and based on a unique cycling community of over 1,200 supporters. BIKE AID stands for enjoying cycling, nature and social commitment.Matthias has been a long-term supporter of bringing young African talent to the international cycling world, since his visit to the Tour of Togo in 2013. On the podcast, he talks through his journey in creating and building Team BIKE AID; some of the incredible talents he has seen come through like Dawit Yemane, Milkias Maekele and Meron Amanuel; the team's unique #rideforafrica jersey (a part of the sales of which fund development grants for young African riders - in partnership with Africa Rising Cycling); and his thoughts on the latest Eritrean talents he has on the squad for 2026: Yoel Habteab, Even Yemane and Nahom Efriem. We hope you enjoy this conversation with a truly influential and yet very humble man in African cycling development.
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  Merhawi Kudus - A True Pioneer of African Professional Cycling 19.05.2026 25хв

  We are most excited to share this podcast today!Merhawi "Mera" Kudus is truly one of the pioneers of African professional cycling. After excelling for the UCI World Cycling Center, he joined the MTN Qhubeka Team in 2014 alongside some of the big names in African cycling: Louis Meintjes, Adrien Niyonshuti, Tsgabu Grmay, Daniel Teklehaimanot and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg.The success of these early Eritrean riders laid the foundations for the next generation like Biniam Girmay and Natnael Tesfatsion to build on, and with a third generation of young sensations like Nahom Efriem (BIKE AID) and Milkias Maekele (INEOS Grenadiers) coming through strong again.We talked to Mera about his journey, his inspiration, his different teams, favourite races and moments, and his thoughts for the key areas of focus for young riders. We hope you enjoy this time with one of the true greats of African cycling. Elelelelelelele!
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  Alexandre Mayer - Meet Mauritius' Top Male Rider 12.05.2026 21хв

  In our latest podcast, we sat down with Alexandre Mayer, the leading male cyclist from the island of Mauritius. The 28-year-old rider is in his second year at the Pro Continental level with the Burgos Burpellet BH team, alongside Merhawi Kudus. Alex took the 'Best African' jersey at the 2.2 Tour du Benin and when we spoke he was next heading to Azerbaijan for the 2.1 Baku Khankendi Cycling Race there (he will be racing stage three there when this podcast is published).He is always remarkably honest and open, and talks passionately about his recent marriage to fellow Mauritian cyclist Lucie de Marigny-Lagesse - who went pro in 2026 with the WCC Team - and how they are sharing their journey together. We hope you enjoy this discussion!
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  Introducing Salami Avocetien - The 21yo Rising Star of African Cycling Development 05.05.2026 28хв

  In this episode, Kim and Jeremy on our team sat down with Salami Avocetien of the Benin Cycling Federation. At just 21 years old, he speaks French, English, four local languages, has his UCI Level 2 Coaching Qualification (Level 3 will be achieved in one month), made his debut as a DS (Directeur Sportif) at Tour du Benin - accompanied by our CEO Kimberly Coats - for the Benin National Team , heads to the UCI this summer for a 3-month internship, and will complete a Masters degree as well. He is a truly remarkable young man. With Benin seeing its first rider get a professional contract in 2026 (Georgette Vignonfodo - WCC Women's Team), Salami might be the next biggest thing to come out of cycling in Benin, and across West Africa. The future for this young man is so bright in our sport. Have a listen to his story...
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  Rogora! Rogora! Ethiopia's Kiya Rogora Shares His Plans For The New JR Pro Cycling Team (Ethiopia) 28.04.2026 29хв

  Two week's ago we featured the father-son Uwimana cycling dynasty in Rwanda, and we now move our focus 3000km to Dire Dawa in eastern Ethiopia, home of the famous Rogora cycling family!On this edition of the Africa Rising Cycling Podcast, we talked to 22-year-old Kiya Rogora, a professional cyclist who has already raced around the world for pro teams and for Ethiopia.Kiya recently launched an exciting new men's road racing team in Ethiopia: JR Pro Cycling. The name brings to life his father's name - Jemal Rogora - an Olympian and one of Ethiopia's most famous cyclists. Dire Dawa has a long history of cycling prowess, but has recently been somewhat overshadowed by the sheer volume of riders coming from the Tigray region in the north of the country. JR Pro Cycling aims to bring back the pride in Dire Dawa, and maybe become Ethiopia's first ever men's professional UCI team. Kiya talks through his career, his heroes, the success of the team so far, the challenges, and the hunt for sponsors to join them in the journey. We hope you enjoy!
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  Its Time For West Africa's Biggest Race: The Tour du Bénin! 21.04.2026 29хв

  This weekend, teams from around Africa, Europe and Asia will arrive in Cotonou, on the Atlantic shore of Benin, in the heart of West Africa, for the UCI 2.2 Tour du Bénin!We sat down with race organiser, President of Bénin Cycling, famous artist and passionate cycling advocate, Romuald Hazoumé, to talk all things Tour du Bénin. He is one of Africa's leading cycling voices at the national Federation level. He calls out corruption, bad practice and laziness, and promotes equality, women's cycling and how Africa can help itself to develop a better cycling presence.Romuald talks about the work he has done with Africa Rising Cycling, the development of local coaches and commissaires, the support of Wahoo and Zwift, having David Lappartient come to present the yellow jersey on the first stage this year, and very importantly, his passion for ecology with a special prize each day for the team who are the most responsible for their ecological impact at the race. We can also no exclusively reveal that two major figures in world cycling will be joining us at the Tour du Bénin: UCI President David Lappartient who will present the yellow jersey at the end of the first stage; and Ned Boulting, one of cycling's most famous journalists, and founder of Never Strays Far - the world's #1 cycling podcast. Ned will be reporting on all things Tour du Bénin and joined us on this podcast to explain his plans. We hope you enjoy!
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  An African Star Rises: Meet 2026 Rwandan Junior MTB XCO Jonathan Uwimana! 14.04.2026 23хв

  On 29 March 2026, 17-year-old Muhawenimana Rafiki Jonathan won the Rwandan Junior MTB XCO National Championships. This was a great win for this rising young Rwandan star.However, this journey began twenty years ago, three years before he was born, when his father, the famous Rafiki 'Kiki' Uwimana* joined Adrien Niyonshuti, coach Jonathan 'Jock' Boyer and the original members of the famous Team Rwanda.Fast forward 20 years, Rafiki's son Jonathan wins the National Champion jersey, is coached by Benin's Salami Avocetien (a protégée of Niyonshuti), supported by Africa Rising Cycling, has a grant from his Virunga Valley Academy school, a bike loaned by Estonian World Tour rider Rein Taaramäe, and was watched proudly by his father. African cycling development truly 'takes a village' and we than all our donors who made this, and many of our ongoing projects possible. Thank you! To donate, click here!*If you happen to be visiting Rwanda, Rafiki runs one of the country's best cycle touring companies - you can find out more on his Instagram page.
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  Meet Louis Meintjes - Africa's Most Present Grand Tour Rider 07.04.2026 23хв

  As a soft spoken, 58kg, diminutive South African, Louis Meintjes has not spent a huge amount of time in the media's eye, preferring his riding and results do the talking. However he is a rider to whom all aspiring World Tour riders from Africa - and around the world - should pay attention. He has ridden in 20 Grand Tours, including 7 editions of the Tour de France, which is more than any other African rider. His GC 7th in the 2022 edition being a career highlight, among other great results that year.Now at home in Andorra learning how to parent two new-borns, Louis spoke candidly to us about his journey in the sport; the struggles in his early years trying to make it in Belgium; being motivated by the successes of Robbie Hunter and the late Burry Stander; how he maintained his motivation and belief; the pain of cobbles; riding on the Intermarché - Wanty team and seeing the rise of Biniam Girmay; and his insights for young riders on how to try and make it in cycling.Thanks to Louis for his truly open and honest discussion through becoming and maintaining a professional cycling career!
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  Meet Jean-Pierre van Zyl: Developing African Cyclists For Over Twenty Years 31.03.2026 35хв

  In this episode, we had an in-depth chat with Jean-Pierre van Zyl, the Director of the UCI's World Cycling Centre programme in Africa. He is based at the excellent WCC facility in Paarl, South Africa.JP often avoids the limelight, but has quietly been working with Africa's leading athletes for over two decades. From the big guns like Biniam Girmay and Kim Le Court Pienaar, to the new crop of rising stars like Tsige Kahsay Kiros (CANYON // SRAM zondacrypto Generation) and Nahom Efriem (Team BIKE AID) he has worked with almost every major African cyclist. We wanted to get behind the scenes to see what makes this man tick! It was a wonderful bonus to then be joined by two of the next generation of young athletes who are at the WCC this month. Hear from Fakudze Nozipho Madiswa - known as Manndi - from Eswatini, and Gift Puteho from Zambia on what the World Cycling Centre means to them and their development.