"We're absolutely thrilled. Yesterday, Anton Lennemann, the young athlete from our own youth team, already delivered a top performance. And today, with Dawit Yemane, we claimed our first classification jersey at the Deutschland Tour – absolutely incredible," said Matthias Schnapka.
Another milestone for the unique concept of the team from Saarland. In Germany, professional cycling is gaining momentum once again. Interest in the Tour de France broadcast is growing here, and at the Deutschland Tour, there are more spectators along the route than there have been in a long time. Yet, Eritrean fans, even in Germany, continue to demonstrate what true cycling culture is, celebrating their heroes.
The mountain jersey for Dawit today is not just a success for our team. It’s about what it means for the people in his homeland. Even though Biniam Girmay has now opened new dimensions for cycling in Africa, moments like this are still needed. It’s about people like Dawit, who come from difficult circumstances that European athletes can barely imagine.
And it’s about the many people in his homeland who dream of such achievements and who Dawit inspires to believe in something – in the possibility of setting goals independently. To fight for them, to gain opportunities in the global world, from which they are usually excluded by so many barriers. Right now, it’s just a classification jersey for one day. But this is exactly what we are working towards.
