The 19yo wonder-kid Milkias Maekele from Eritrea wins the opening stage of the Tour of Iran (Azarbaijan) for his team BIKE AID, takes his third victory of 2025, has his ‘Pro’ win (2.1 and above) and first day tomorrow in a yellow jersey as a professional rider!
In a thrilling bunch sprint finish, Maekele claimed a brilliant victory. With this win, he also takes the overall lead in the general classification. It was a powerful and emotional moment for the entire team, as Milkias only recently joined the BIKE AID squad and is being touted as potentially the next big Eritrean sprinter (you can read a report we produced for BBC Sport/BBC Africa), and is still getting to know his colleagues.
“Guys, I am so happy! Thanks for everything from the BIKE AID team and my team-mates! It is not only my victory, it is our victory!” Milkias said after his win.
It was a double celebration for Eritrea also, with Milkias’ team-mate Yoel Habteab coming in third place.
37th Tour of Iran
This is the 37th edition of the UCI 2.1 rated Tour of Iran (Azarbaijan). Stage One was a 153km route from Tabriz to Urmia, with four more stages to come. The region, bordering Armenia and the country of Azerbaijan, has a long-standing cycling tradition. In addition to road racing, there is a vibrant mountain biking scene.
The Tour of Iran consists of five stages and passes through the stunning Sahand Mountains. The highest peak, the volcanic Kuh-e Sahand, rises to 3,710 meters. The race will conclude next Saturday with a demanding 200-kilometer mountain stage finishing back in Tabriz. There are 64 competitors taking part, representing 11 teams. Alongside the national teams of Iran, Iraz and Uzbekistan, there are eight UCI Continental Teams, including BIKE AID and Istanbul Büyükșehir Belediye Spor Türkiye (IBBST).
Bike Aid at Tour of Iran
BIKE AID, as we have mentioned in a previous story on Milkias joining the team, have been a platform for strong young East African cycling talent for well over a decade. Alongside Milkias and Yoel, they also have the impressive Dawit Yemane at the race. Their Team Manager Matthias Schnapka said:
“Milkias was recommended to us by several people. Some coaches had analyzed his data and were convinced he deserved a real chance. Actually, we had no more spots left for 2025. But after our first conversations with him, we knew we had to find a way to make it work.”
The journey to Iran means more to BIKE AID than just a race. Schnapka shared that being there reflects his team’s philosophy of curiosity, openness, and the willingness to go where others do not. He mentioned that the team also competed in the Tour of Iran back in 2022 (Dawit Yemane their best finisher in third place (just forty five seconds separated the top five riders) and they have returned as they were deeply moved by the warmth and kindness of the people.
Eritrean Domination
The good news also doesn’t end here for Eritrea – Africa’s #1 cycling nation. IBBST, the UCI Continental Team from Turkey also has two strong Eritrean riders in their squad, Natnael Berhane and Even Yemane. We expect to see both of these riders do well over the five stages. It truly demonstrates the depth of Eritrean cycling, to have five professional riders on the start-list of this race. The points gained will for sure strengthen their position at the top of the current UCI’s Africa Tour Nations rankings. They have just tipped over 5,200 points for 2025, with South Africa in second on only 1,308!
Results are a challenge from this remote area, however as always, ProCyclingStats are on the case and have Stage One’s results online already! You can follow the race results on their website #WhereElse
#RideforAfrica Project
Milkias’ win further highlights the recent launch of BIKE AID’s #rideforafrica project, a hugely exciting project to help junior African riders prepare for the World Championships in September in Africa. Each of their new jerseys (see photo of Milkias wearing this below) sold will contribute directly to this campaign!
Team Africa Rising is partnering with BIKE AID on this project, and we will select three African juniors who will each receive a grant to help with their preparation. You can read more on this project – and order your jersey – HERE
