It’s been described as a ‘moonshot trajectory’, and the goal of securing a ride for Africa’s Team Amani at the Tour de France Femmes would certainly put the squad into orbit.
The ambitious target was made public this week, with Team Amani set to take out a breakthrough UCI license next season and aiming to be part of the Tour lineup by 2028.
“Establishing this team with ambitions to race competitively in the biggest races in the world within three years feels like a watershed moment for our project,” said Team Amani Co-Founder Mikel Delagrange.
As detailed recently on Velo, Team Amani is part of rising momentum within African cycling.
It was set up in 2020 by the late Sule Kangangi plus international criminal lawyer Delagrange.
Kangangi was tragically killed in a crash in the Overland Gravel Race in Vermot in 2022. Since then Delagrange and others have continued building the project, driven on in part by his memory.
He’d be proud of what it has done and where it is going. Becoming Africa’s first-ever UCI women’s continental team next season will be historic, and participating in the biggest races will be monumental.
Tour de France Femmes aside, the team also plans to ride the Giro d’Italia Donne and La Vuelta Femenina by 2028.
“We’ve always believed that with like for like resources our athletes could compete with the best,” Delagrance said. “We set out a moonshot trajectory with ambitious milestones. It just so happens that our ladies hit them first.”
The new African cycling project
Back in 2015 MTN-Qhubeka made its debut in the men’s Tour de France, the first time an African-registered team took part. That squad was set up with the development of cycling on that continent being stated aim, yet while African riders were a significant part of the team their number dwindled over time.
The ambitions of Doug Ryder saw the squad take an increasingly European focus as time passed.
Team Amani puts the emphasis back on African cycling and debuted a men’s continental-level team this year.
Riding the men’s Tour de France is also a goal, but it looks like the women’s team will make its own Tour debut first.
Four time Olympian Ashleigh Moolman Pasio is part of its striving push for participation.
The South African is nearing the end of her own career but, following top 10 finishes in the Tour de France Femmes and Giro Donne, she has taken on a role as mentor-advisor.
Given her vast experience, her input should fast-track the push for success.
“When I was properly introduced to Team Amani earlier this year, I was deeply inspired by the project’s vision,” she said.
“Rather than following the traditional model of sending African riders to Europe and hoping they adapt, Amani is building high-performance infrastructure in Africa — where riders feel at home, supported by their own cultures and communities — and then creating pathways to Europe in a sustainable way.
“Having seen the level of talent firsthand, I’m convinced that the potential is enormous. The power numbers are impressive, but even more inspiring is the hunger and determination of these riders.”
The team project was officially launched at Rouleur Live in London. Next step: to build condition for 2026, and to ensure that the women’s UCI debut is as successful as possible.
Only limitation: imagination
Hosting the 2025 world championships in Africa was a hugely important catalyst for the sport there. In addition to giving Team Amani riders such as Xaverine Nirere vital experience against the best riders in the world, it also showcased cycling to the public.
And don’t underestimate the value of young Africans having role models. As the men’s team rider Samuel Niyonkuru said in September, the worlds being in Rwanda acted as a huge shot of confidence.
“Hosting the world championships here gave us motivation and belief. Many African riders now know it is possible to reach the highest level,” he told <i>Velo</i> then.
Having a continental-level women’s team to cheer on is the next step in that progression, and something that will gain pace when the squad begins lining out in European races next spring.
Delagrange is convinced his riders can make a real and growing mark.
“Our message to the young women on our team is that the only limitation they have now is that of their own imaginations,” he said.
“Trailblazers have the hard work of cutting paths where none previously existed. But once the path is paved, many will follow.
“That’s why this moment is so consequential- not just for the women on this team but also for the future of the sport.”
Source URL: https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/history-made-team-amani-uci-licence-ambitious-tour-de-france-femmes-target/