KUDUS Merhawi

Type of rider
Climber (astanapremiertech.com, 01 Jan 2021)

General
EARLY DAYS
It took him time to adjust to life in Europe after arriving from Africa. "It was a totally different world for me. We went training in the mountains in the snow and it was a shock to my system. Many traffic islands and narrow roads was something else that was new to me. Racing in a group of 200 guys on these narrow roads was not something I was used to. I'm a climber and it's important to start a climb in the front. The fight for position to get to the front before the mountain was something I had to learn to deal with." (develo.cc, 31 Oct 2017)

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
As one of the few African cyclists competing on the World Tour, he puts himself under pressure to achieve results that might inspire the next generation of riders from the continent. "More opportunities are needed for African cyclists to compete and train in Europe, I have no doubt about that. I became famous in Eritrea, especially after I took part in the Tour de France. I feel some pressure to achieve something significant in cycling but most of that pressure comes from myself. I feel like my dream is for me and for African cycling. I would like to make an impact on the sport. This is my dream." (jornaltornado.pt, 26 Jul 2020; cyclingpub.com, 05 May 2019; develo.cc, 31 Oct 2017)

In July 2015 he became one of the first two Eritreans to start the Tour de France, alongside compatriot Daniel Teklehaimanot. (telegraph.co.uk, 28 Aug 2020; smh.com.au, 25 Jul 2015)