Eritrea too hot to handle as CAC Road Cycling African Championships conclude in Kwale
- Elias Makori
- Nov 24, 2025
- 3 min read
Diani, November 23, 2025
Eritrea stamped their authority as Africa’s leading cycling powerhouse with a dominant display on the Kwale hills to lift the three gold medals on offer of the final day of the 2025 CAC Road Cycling African Championships that came to an end on Sunday in Diani, in Kwale County.
The Eritrean national anthem was played thrice with Merhawi Kudus winning the elite men’s 163.8-kilometre road race title, recording his biggest title in his cycling career.
Kudus’ win ensured that the country retains the title that was won by Henok Mulubrhan, who missed to defend the title having moved on to bigger pro commitments with the Astaka Kazakhstan Cycling Team.
Henok won the continental title in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
With the men’s elite and under-23 race starting in Diani, making 10 laps of the 14-kilometre loop before supping the hilly tarmac to Kwale town, Kudus crossed the finishing line by stopping the timer at three hours, 53 minutes and six seconds, beating compatriot Awet Aman (3:53:07) and Algeria’s Abdellah Mimouni completed the podium in 3:54:12.
The seasoned pro, now a decade deep into his career, spoke with heartfelt pride about finally capturing a title he has long coveted.
Eritrea won 11 medals, four of them gold, in this year’s championship as pressure naturally followed the team onto the Kwale course, pressure Kudus admits they carried heavily.
He attributed part of their success to the intense preparation undertaken ahead of the continental showdown.
“We had a three-week training camp and that helped us a lot. We had intense training every day, so that really helped us coming to this championship,” he said.
At the same time, Natan Tesfalmen, also from Eritrea won the under-20 title after clocking 3:53:07, delivering Eritrea’s fourth gold medal of the championships.
Mimouni (3:54:12) settled for second, with Rwanda’s Samuel Niyonkuru clocking 3:54:25 to take bronze.
At the same time, Awet Aman, also from Eritrea, won the junior men title in 2:44:19, holding off Uganda’s Paul Miro (2:44:44) and Namibia’s Roger Suren (2:45:57) in a thrilling battle under the scorching coastal heat.
Selected results from the 19th CAC African Road Cycling Championships in Diani, Kwale County
Elite Men’s Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Brandon Downes (RSA) | 16:29.226 |
2 | Janse Van Rensburg Reinardt (RSA) | 16:38.787 |
3 | Henri Alexandre Mayer (RWA) | 16:49.361 |
Elite Women’s Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Lucy Young (RSA) | 18:34.449 |
2 | Aurelie Halbwachs (MAU) | 19:13.256 |
3 | Xaveline Nirere (RWA) | 19:31.324 |
Men’s Under 23 Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Joshua Dike (RSA) | 16:45.904 |
2 | Mewael Girmay (ETH) | 17:01.015 |
3 | Driss El Alouani (MAR) | 17:11.545 |
Women’s Under 23 Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Nesrine Houilin (ALG) | 19:32.979 |
2 | Jazilla Mwamikazi (RWA) | 19:48.469 |
3 | Monaliza Araya Chneslasie (ERI) | 20:26.367 |
Junior Men’s Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Tristan Hardy (MAU) | 17:12.822 |
2 | Nahom Efriem (ERI) | 17:33.341 |
3 | Dean Woolley (ERI) | 17:34.030 |
Junior Women’s Individual Time Trial (14km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Tsige Kiros Kahsay (ETH) | 19:59.090 |
2 | Adyam Tesfu (ERI) | 20:09.804 |
3 | Masengesho Yvonne (RWA) | 20:30.228 |
Elite Men’s Road Race (163.8km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | MERHAWI Kudus (ERI) | 3:35.06 |
2 | Awet Aman (ERI) | 3:53.11 |
3 | Abdellah Oussama Mimouni (ALG) |
Under 23 Men’s Road Race (163.8km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Awet Aman (ERI) | |
2 | Abdellah Oussama Mimouni (ALG) | |
3 | Samuel Niyonkuru (RWA) |
Elite Women’s Road Race (107.6km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Preen Haley (RSA) | 3:10.31 |
2 | Birikti Fessehaye (ERI) | |
3 | Claudette Nyirarukundo (RWA) |
Under 23 Women’s Road Race (107.6km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Claudette Nyirarukundo (RWA) | |
2 | Jazilla Mwamikazi (RWA) | |
3 | Adiam Dawit Mengs (ERI) |
Junior Men’s Road Race (107.6km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Natan Tesfalmen (ETH) | 2:44.19 |
2 | Paul Miro (UGA) | 2:44.41 |
3 | Roger Suren (NAM) | 2:45.57 |
Junior Women’s Road Race (64.5km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Tsige Kahsay Kiros (ETH) | 2:02.58 |
2 | Yvonne Masengesho (RWA) | |
3 | Kssanet Grmay Gebreslasse (ETH) |
Youth Men’s Road Race (42km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Saad Bechelagehm (ALG) | 1:05.18 |
2 | Abdellah Allal (ALG) | 1:06.50 |
3 | Iles Ahmed Gagueche (ALG) |
Youth Women’s Road Race (28km)
PSN | NAME & COUNTRY | TIME |
1 | Donatha Akimana (RWA) | 44:51 |
2 | Joudy El Sayed (EGY) | 47:06 |
3 | Beamish Beamish (ALG) |