For the second time after 2016 the team from Germany is now travelling to the "Horn of Africa". Eritrea is the name of this small country, which has just four million inhabitants and borders on Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Through the Italian colonial times in the early nineties you can feel the Italian "flair" in almost every corner in the capital of the country Asmara, and cycling is also very popular. The sport number 1 is cycling in Eritrea and is entirely "lived" by the population.
For more than three years now, athletes from this country have been an important part of BIKE AID project. Formed, promoted and developed to the next level. Mekseb Debesay for example made it from Eritrea through BIKE AID into the World Tour (first league of the World Cup). Not at least because of this, BIKE AID is now a well-known "brand" in Eritrea, which encourages more and more young people to imitate their "role model" Mekseb and wear once in the dress of the German team.
The tour will be a mix of climbing (some climbs of 60 kilometers) and also a mostly flat terrain, either at the Asmaras plateau (2400m) or at the sea level in Masswa, under incredible heat. A challenge for every European, because the driders from Eritrea want to shine at home, of course.
The start is on Saturday with the first race. Until then, the guys from BIKE AID will get used to the surroundings and are already looking forward to the spectators on the roadside, who will enthusiastically adorn the race with their emotions.