Rapha and Team AMANI have announced a new three-year partnership, with a goal of elevating East African cycling to new heights. Together, the apparel brand and team will focus on profiling riders, developing young talent and hosting events.
Team AMANI, based in Iten, Kenya, is composed of male and female riders from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. As a project, Team AMANI aims to, among other things, create a world-class cycling development programme in the heart of East Africa. Known as the ‘Home of Champions’ for its role in producing multiple world champions in running, Iten is seen as a perfect location to nurture cycling talent.
As part of the partnership, Rapha will serve as the official kit partner for gravel-focused cycling team, Team AMANI and its U23 development team, Black Mamba Development Squad. The first team issue will be unveiled in April and made commercially available in June. A portion of the profits generated from apparel sales will be reinvested back into the team.
Team AMANI, consisting of eight top riders from East Africa, will compete in prestigious events worldwide, including the Lifetime Grand Prix 2024, the UCI Gravel World Series and the Gravel Earth Series.
The Black Mamba Development Team, comprising talented young male and female riders, will participate in local races including the Safari Race Series, Migration Gravel Race, the UCI Safari Gravel Race, as well as virtual competitions on Zwift.
In addition to kit sponsorship, Rapha will play a role in supporting the next phase of Team AMANI’s development programme: AMANI House, a centre of excellence located in Iten dedicated to nurturing the next generation of cycling talent in East Africa.
The team has made progress already by acquiring land, creating a community pump track and building athlete housing in Iten.
To further promote opportunities for African riders and overcome barriers to international competition, Rapha will sponsor AMANI’s elite-level events in Kenya.
The Migration Gravel Race, a challenging 650km, four-day stage race across the Maasai Mara, and the LOOP Safari Race Series, a series of four, one-day gravel races across Kenya, are aimed at showcasing the diversity of the landscape and increasing access to the sport of elite cycling in East Africa.
Notably, the Safari Gravel Race will be part of the UCI Gravel World Series, marking the first-ever UCI sanctioned event in Kenya.
Mikel Delagrange, Co-Founder and Director of The AMANI project, said “We couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming partnership with Rapha. For me personally (and for many others I’m sure), Rapha’s continental film series in the early 2010s inspired me to ride my bike in unconventional ways and in unconventional locations.
“It’s perfectly fitting that – in partnering with Team AMANI and the Migration Gravel Race – Rapha is again inspiring the cycling world to challenge convention.”
Thomas Long, Rapha Athlete & Teams Manager, said “Team AMANI has been a constant inspiration for us at Rapha. From our first conversations with Mikel and the team, we knew we had to be part of their journey. In doing so, it was important that our commitment extended beyond just providing physical products, that we supported each aspect of the AMANI vision, from the race calendar to their development projects.
“We’re excited to bring our expertise from the World Tour and elite gravel racing, and in turn learn what it takes to be a world-class athlete in one of the most revered sporting locations on the planet. We’re incredibly proud to welcome Team AMANI to our roster.”
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