Team AMANI, the first all-African women’s cycling team to race in Europe, has announced the signing of Ethiopian climber Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay for the 2027 season.
Trhas comes from Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, from a family that lives and breathes cycling. Two of her brothers raced, and she became the third rider in the household. She started racing at around 15, finished fourth in one of her first races, and soon learned she was a climber.
Her breakthrough came in 2019 with victory in the junior individual time trial at the African Championships, followed by a place at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Switzerland that same year. In 2023 she won both the Ethiopian national road race and individual time trial titles, earning selection for the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland.
She never made the start line. “I came to the UK after the World Championships because my visa was issued too late, after the race had already finished,” said Trhas. “At the time, the war in Ethiopia was very intense, so I decided to travel to the UK using the visa I already had.”
“When I came to the UK, I tried my best to continue cycling and took part in some races. But life was difficult. I was far from my family and facing many challenges in a new country. I am forever grateful to The Cyclists’ Alliance, Africa Rising Women, West London Welcome, and the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) for their kindness and support during one of the most difficult times of my life.”
Now she is ready to race again. “When I saw other riders from Ethiopia racing, I thought: I wish that was me,” she said. “After everything I have been through the last few years, I don’t have a problem with the visa, which allows me to travel. It opened the door for this opportunity with Team AMANI. So now I just have to work. I’m so excited, I can’t explain how happy I am. I will be a cyclist again, with the opportunity to write the next chapter of my story.”
Tsgabu Grmay, Head of Racing at Team AMANI and the first Ethiopian to ride the Tour de France, knew her as a junior in Ethiopia.
“She was one of the most talented girls we had in Tigray, and a real fighter,” said Grmay. “But there was no money, and no team that could give her an international opportunity. We are a young team with a big dream, and she is a young rider with a big dream. We are chasing the same dream. I’m sure we will get the best out of her talent and show the world what she can do.”
For Trhas, joining Team AMANI means racing alongside Ethiopian riders she grew up with, on a team built around the realities African athletes face.
“Other teams give you one chance. If the visa says no, you can’t find another one,” she said. “This team understands. It’s good to show other women in Africa what is possible. We will be successful together.”
Her ambition is clear. “My dream is to ride the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift,” she said. “For that, I have to work hard and believe in myself.”
Trhas will join Team AMANI’s 2027 roster ahead of the new season
