Natnael Tesfatsion’s beginnings in cycling
Daniel Teklehaimanot was the trailblazer for cycling in Eritrea, and inspired Natnael – who hails from the capital Asmara – right from the start.
“The road near my house, the K’ushut-Tzada Kiristean, is famous for the Eritrean Time Trial Championships,” he said. “They normally close the road and it’s used for training. I saw Daniel Teklehaimanot there, and my father pushed me towards cycling.
“Normally you start with mountain bikes in Eritrea, and then you switch to road bikes. In my first race, I finished in sixth place. And after the second race, I finished third or fourth, I don’t remember. After that, I continued to have good results in Eritrea until 2018.”
The former Italian colony – “the Italians are famous for being cyclists” – has a significant cycling following, with fans at home and abroad following their riders passionately.
“In France, people come to watch and support us because there aren’t many black riders in Europe,” says Natnael. “They always support us. Not only in Eritrea. Everywhere. In Europe, in Australia, UK. Everywhere they support us. Also, they are like a family.
“At home they watch in the airport, in all the cafes on big TV screens.”
Eritrean cycling continues to grow, but Natnael believes there should be more riders getting their chance on the big stage. “There is little opportunity to showcase African riders because there is only Tour du Rwanda and sometimes Gabon,” he claims. “If there is some continental team, then maybe they have the chance to go outside of Africa.”
And as for his ambitions in cycling: “My goal is to win one big race,” says the Italophile. “Like maybe a stage of the Giro or a big classic.”