BIKE AID from West Africa to Engen at Lake Constance
While our professional team is racing in West Africa, our U23 team is competing at the South German Championships in Engen at Lake Constance, the joint state championships of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Two places, two realities, yet one shared idea. And in both places, BIKE AID stands on top.
In West Africa, BIKE AID wins the overall classification of the six-day Tour du Bénin with Kristiāns Belohvoščiks. After 713 kilometers through heat and dust, he finishes just under a minute ahead of Alexandre Mayer from Mauritius and Youssef Bdadou from Morocco. At the start, 21-year-old Oscar Schempp had already won the prologue and received the yellow jersey from UCI President Davide Lappartient. The following day, Belohvoščiks took over the lead with a stage win, and the team defended the jersey until the final.
Following the Tour du Bénin, another race was on the program with the Grand Prix Cotonou. BIKE AID continued its success, as Oscar Schempp secured the victory. In the final, he broke away from a larger lead group together with Yafiet Mulugeta from Eritrea and proved strongest at the finish.
First stage race victory since 2022
Despite many major international successes in recent years, an overall stage race victory remains something special. The last time BIKE AID achieved this was in 2022 with Dawit Yemane at the Tour of Serbia.
But sporting success is only part of the story
In Benin, we are guests. A country considered one of the poorest in the world, and one that most people in Europe cannot truly picture. The perspective from there remains abstract for many, and this is where simplified views and prejudices often begin.
Our riders experience this reality directly. They ride through cities and villages, meet people face to face, and are accompanied by thousands of children along the roadside, cheering and watching. Encounters that stay. Perspectives begin to shift.
Giving something back, even in a small way
In Benin, our team donated a batch of helmets from our partner ABUS to the national cycling federation to support young riders. We also met Georgette Vignonfodo, currently the top female cyclist in Benin. Together with Africa Rising, we have supported her as part of our #rideforafrica campaign.
Focusing only on results would miss the point
The simple narrative would be that a European team arrives and wins. This is exactly the image we aim to challenge. At BIKE AID, African and European riders race together in one team, travel together and share the same experiences. For the people on the roadside, it becomes visible that the world does not have to be divided.
Our European riders return changed. For a moment, they have stepped outside their usual perspective. They have experienced what it means to see the world from a different place. These experiences turn them into ambassadors for a more open and global way of thinking.
Global vision in Africa, national success in Germany
At the same time, BIKE AID continues its story in Germany. While Oscar Schempp stands on the podium in Benin, the U23 Bundesliga team celebrates a one-two victory at the South German Championships. Young rider Constantin Frie wins the overall classification ahead of his teammate Max Grabosch, prevailing against competitors from Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The next talents are already positioning themselves for a place in the professional team.
BIKE AID is therefore more than a professional cycling team. It is a movement that enables development, creates opportunities and connects people, from young riders in Germany to international races in Africa.
Already this Wednesday, BIKE AID continues in Greece. The Tour of Hellas, the country’s official national tour, is next on the schedule. The team will line up with a fresh group of climbers, only overall Tour du Bénin winner Kristiāns Belohvoščiks takes on the double effort and now faces two travel days before the next race..
That is BIKE AID.
