Tour of Eritrea

The Tour of Eritrea (Tigrinya: ዙር ኤርትራ, Italian: Giro dell’ Eritrea) is a bicycle race held each year in Eritrea. Riders travel through many parts of the country, showing their skills and strength. The race happens in lovely landscapes, giving everyone a chance to see Eritrea’s different scenery. It has become a big event for local athletes and fans of cycling from around the world.

History

The first Tour of Eritrea race was in 1946. It was started by the Italian community in Eritrea and had 34 riders. Nunzio Barrilà from the A.C. Piemonte team won the race. The race had five stages, including a very difficult mountain stage.

The race did not happen in 1947 due to political issues, but a smaller race called the "Tour of the 3 Valleys" was held instead, won by Esmiles Zoli. After many years, the Tour of Eritrea started again in 2001 to celebrate ten years of Eritrean independence. Habte Weldesimon won in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Merhawi Ghebrehiwot won in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the race was recognized by the UCI and had five stages. Meron Russom won that year. The most recent race mentioned was in 2013, won by Mekseb Abrha Debesay.

2008 results

In the 2008 race, Merhawi Ghebrehiwot from team EriTel came in first. Dawit Haile from team Asbeco was second, and Frekalsi Debesay came third.

The final stage was held in Asmara on April 20. It was won by Domenico Vaccaro, an Italian Eritrean, who rode for the team Medeber.

Route

The Tour of Eritrea is a big bike race that covers 670 km (420 mi) over 5 stages. It goes through different parts of the country, from dry deserts to cool high lands and windy coasts.

The race usually starts at the beaches of Massawa and goes up winding mountain roads to the capital Asmara. After that, it moves to the western plains of the Gash-Barka Region before coming back to Asmara from the south.

This race is very popular in Eritrea, with many fans watching and nearly 100 professional cyclists from the country. People cheer for the riders just like they do in big races such as the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.

Jersey

In the Tour of Eritrea, special shirts called jerseys are given to the riders. The winner of each stage wears a blue jersey. Riders who are best at climbing wear a red jersey. The rider who is leading the whole tour wears a yellow jersey.

Winners

The Tour of Eritrea is a bicycle race held each year in Eritrea. Many good cyclists have won this race. The winners are from many countries and show great skill and energy. The race is fun for fans of cycling and helps people learn about Eritrea.