Team Amani has announced the formation of the first women’s UCI Continental Cycling Team from Africa, which will be registered in Ethiopia. The team will feature elite riders from Rwanda, Ethiopia, and other East African nations.
The team’s ambition is to compete at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Giro d’Italia Donne, and La Vuelta Femenina by 2028. The team will begin racing in Europe in spring 2026.
Team Amani was founded in 2020 as a project rooted in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and now Ethiopia, to address what it describes as structural inequalities that have prevented African cyclists from reaching the top tiers of international competition.
The team has welcomed Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, a four-time Olympian and former top-10 finisher at the Tour de France Femmes and Giro Donne, as Mentor-Advisor. She will focus on helping the team reach the international stage.
Ashleigh Moolman Pasio said “As a pioneer for African women’s cycling, reaching this stage of my career feels like the right moment to give back and help the next generation of African talent reach the highest level.
“When I was properly introduced to Team Amani earlier this year, I was deeply inspired by the project’s vision. 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.”
She added “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. I’m proud to play a hands-on role in helping them unlock that potential and to see African women line up at the world’s biggest races in the years to come.”
Mikel Delagrange, Co-Founder and Head Cheerleader at Team Amani, said “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.
“We’ve always believed that with like for like resources our athletes could compete with the best. We set out a moonshot trajectory with ambitious milestones. It just so happens that our ladies hit them first.”
Delagrange continued “Our message to the young women on our team is that the only limitation they have now is that of their own imaginations. 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.”
The official team launch took place live on stage at Rouleur Live in London this week, with team rider Xaverine Nirere and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio presenting the project to the public.
Team Amani partners with brands such as POC, Rapha, SRAM, Wahoo, Fizik, and Factor. The team is managed out of Kenya and Rwanda, with operational hubs in Iten and Kigali.
