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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat May 28 2011 - 04:29:29 EDT
Eritrea to host the 2011 African Championships
By:
Pierre Carrey
Published:
May 28, 01:56,
The 2011 African Continental Championships will take place in Asmara, the
capital of Eritrea, from 9 to 13 November, the UCI has told Cyclingnews.
They were previously planned for the Ivory Coast but the international
federation decided to postpone hosting the event in that country to another
year. The Ivory Coast is still unstable despite the investiture of new
president Alassane Ouattara on May 21, after six months of civil war.
The UCI delegate to Africa, Jean-Pierre Van Zyl, also the director of the
UCI Continental Centre in South Africa, will approve the new course next
week in Eritrea, on the occasion of the national championships.
The race will be particularly important for women riders as it will serve as
qualifying for the 2012 Olympics.
It's the first time that Eritrea hosts the African Championships since the
reform of cycling in 2005. This last minute application is mainly due to the
success of its national riders, who dominated the African Championships last
year in Rwanda.
On that occasion,
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/teklehaimanot-must-take-the-next-step>
Daniel Teklehaimanot notably captured the gold medal in individual and team
time trials, as well as the road race, and also won the Under-23 title in
every competition. Currently stagiaire at the UCI World Cycling Centre in
Switzerland and looking for a professional team, Teklehaimanot
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/daniel-teklehaimanot-still-looking-for-a-te
am-in-2011> is an iconic athlete in his country.
A new generation is emerging in his slipstream, including Natnael Berhane, a
21-year-old puncheur, winner of a stage at the
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-tropicale-amissa-bongo-tabo-2-1-1>
Tropicale Amissa Bongo ahead of Quick Step's Jérôme Pineau.
Because of its Italian colonial heritage, cycling remains the number one
sport in Eritrea. Most of the riders show striking climbers' attributes
thanks to the very hilly roads from the Red Sea coast to the capital Asmara,
which sits at an altitude of 2,325 metres.
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/eritrea-to-host-the-2011-african-cha
mpionships/148849> Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eritrea) is an iconic champion
everywhere in Africa.
Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eritrea) is an iconic champion everywhere in Africa.
*
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/eritrea-to-host-the-2011-african-cha
mpionships/148849> Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eritrea) is an iconic champion
everywhere in Africa.
*
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/eritrea-to-host-the-2011-african-cha
mpionships/149269> New race leader Tesfai Teklit and his Eritrea teammates.
*
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/eritrea-to-host-the-2011-african-cha
mpionships/148499> Daniel Teklehaimanot checks his bike the start
<http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/eritrea-to-host-the-2011-african-cha
mpionships> view thumbnail gallery
Teklehaymanot's country confirms its interest in cycling
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