Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay has been crowned Africa’s best men’s elite cyclist of 2025, strengthening his position as one of the continent’s most accomplished riders. The 24-year-old beat fellow Eritreans Henok Mulubrhan and Milkias Maekele to claim the continent’s highest individual honour in elite men’s cycling.
Biniam became the first black African cyclist to win a Grand Tour stage after winning stage 10 in a reduced bunch sprint. At the 2024 Tour de France, Biniam won the Green Jersey becoming the first African to win any jersey at the Tour.
At the same Tour, he became the first black African rider to win a Tour de France stage; he won stages 3, 8, and 12
Mauritian cyclist Kimberley Le Court secured the women’s elite prize, while Burkina Faso’s Paul Daumont won the amateur category. Eritrea, long seen as Africa’s dominant cycling nation, was also named overall nation winner at this year’s African Cycling Awards, organized by the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC).
Across the region, standout riders also received recognition. Burundi’s Odette Nsengiyumva was named East Africa’s best female cyclist, and Uganda’s Charles Kagimu took the men’s regional honour, following a promising showing at the UCI African Cycling Championships.
In Rwanda, Vainqueur Masengesh and Xaverine Nirere were awarded the country’s top elite titles for men and women respectively.
