Bike Aid Provides Dozens Of Stradalli Bikes For Refugees And Youth In Blieskastel

To many in the cycling community Bike Aid is a large group of cycling enthusiasts with a professional German race team sponsored by Stradalli Cycle. However, the backbone of the group, the teams, the racers and everything that is Bike Aid is charity work. This week the charitable efforts of these amazing people were in plain view as dozens of new bikes were donated to refugees and youth in Blieskastel, Germany.

Thanks to the savings association Saarland eV and many other contributors including Stradalli Cycle, many young people were able to receive these brand new mountain bikes to enjoy and use for transportation.

Bike Aid does considerable charitable work in Eritrea, Africa as well as other parts of the world. They raise money and awareness for war-stricken areas of Africa and give hope and opportunity to many of the residents of the community.

“You’ve all probably heard about the success the team has had in bringing young African cyclists to Europe and giving them an education as well as an opportunity to have a real career in pro cycling. That’s great but what about the people who aren’t going to be pro cyclists? They need help as well and when you visit these communities or meet with some of the young men and women from there it is very humbling because you hear their stories and you are amazed at how positive an attitude they have and how much they enjoy life. That’s why I was very happy to help in any way I could.” Stradalli Cycle CEO Tom Steinbacher

It wasn’t long before the young men and women were riding their new bikes over to the local BMX race track. Bike Aid does outstanding charitable work all around the world, specifically working with refugees of many countries in Africa as well as Syria. If you would like to contribute to these efforts please contact Stradalli Cycle. 

Stradalli – Bike Aid Team Dominant On Their Adopted Continent Of Africa

It’s funny how things work out. The Stradalli – Bike Aid team from Germany loves to race in some of the most beautiful locations in Europe. Their trip to Spain is a great example as they raced in Mallorca and saw some of the most amazing sites in the world. But there’s only one place this team truly feels at home and it is the last place you would expect.

Africa is the adopted continent of the Stradalli – Bike Aid team as their charity efforts have helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help young African cyclists realize their dream of becoming pro racers. The program has so many success stories but the one thing people weren’t sure of is if it would lead to wins and podium appearances for the race team.

Not only is the team off to maybe it’s best start ever, but they are dominating races throughout Africa and it continued this week at the Tour of Eritrea. But it’s not just the Germans who are doing well. Of the 6 young African racers on the team, 3 of them are from Eritrea and all have either won or placed in the top 10 already in this early season. This includes Amanuel Meron who rode his Stradalli Cycle Aversa full carbon road bike right to the podium in the Tour of Eritrea already.

Amanuel is joined by teammates Amanuel Mengis Ghebreindrias, Meron Teshome and German riders Dominik Merseburg, Daniel Bichlmann and Matthias Schnapka who all have experience riding in the heat of Africa. Great teamwork is the reason for the early season success of Stradalli – Bike Aid, however, it is also a great reminder of the hard charitable work put in by the organization. When you have 3 stellar racers return home to Eritrea and perform the way these young men have you know that the program is working and the efforts are paying off. 

The Tour of Eritrea began with a bang for Stradalli – Bike Aid after they put Amanuel Meron on the podium after 117 kilometers of racing, but Stradalli – Bike Aid’s time in Eritrea began far before the 2016 edition was even thought about.

Stradalli – Bike Aid is well known for their charity work in Africa and much of the work is done inside the borders of Eritrea. Before the race, Stradalli – Bike Aid spent time exploring the roads of Eritrea and spending time with local youth.

Eritrea is known for its difficulties regarding poverty and war. Most wouldn’t guess Eritrea is a cycling-crazy country. Americans dream of being professional football players or perhaps going to the NBA. In Eritrea, the dream is cycling and those that reach the World Tour are forever heroes in their country.

3 of the 6 African riders on Stradalli – Bike Aid are from Eritrea and all 3 were present every day to race in their home country. These Eritrean riders are not just filling the pack. These are young rock stars. These are the top athletes Eritrea has to offer and they proved it every day in Eritrea with a podium or top 10 finish.

Amanuel Meron opened the account for Stradalli – Bike Aid with a 3^rd place finish in a very tight sprint finish in stage 1. Amanuel Meron repeated this finish on stage 2 in the process of helping Meron Teshome of Stradalli – Bike Aid take a commanding win in the sprint finish in Agordat. Stage 3 was more mountainous and less suitable to the team of expert sprinters at Stradalli – Bike Aid, but Amanuel Meron still finish at the front of the main group. However, the team didn’t take it easy for long.

Stage 4 was a déjà vu for the peloton as Stradalli – Bike Aid again took 2 of the top 5 spots. Amanuel Meron and the team knew the sprint leaders jersey was well within reach. Meron Teshome returned the favor helping Amanuel Meron onto the podium while finishing fourth on the day.

The sprinters may be the stars of the race, but they could not accomplish these results without top notch teamwork. The rest of the team, which includes Eritrean rider Amanuel Mengis Ghebreindrias, and German riders Dominik Merseburg, Daniel Bichlmann and Matthias Schnapka worked tirelessly to put the team in the best possible position for the win. They do it all on the Stradalli Aversa to handle the tough roads of Eritrea.

Such is the case for Stradalli – Bike Aid on and off the bike. The team works constantly to continue their mission in Africa to provide opportunities for less-fortunate people. Many Africans would never have the opportunity to be educated, let alone have easy access to clean drinking water and nutritious food.

Stage 5 ended in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. The team had done more than enough to cement their victory in the sprint points competition. The team took home the green leaders jersey and gave Eritrean cycling fans the opportunity to spend time with their cycling heroes. Now the team is in Germany to continue their European campaign.

Many say the level of cycling in Africa is not as high as Europe, but this is not the case. African cycling is full of incredible athletes and the team is well prepared for Eschborn – Frankfurt after a long stint in Africa and several tune up races in Germany.

The Tour of Eritrea was a success. Wins aside, the team got back to its roots and it was a healthy reminder to the riders why they race. Stradalli – Bike Aid does not race their bicycles just to race. Stradalli – Bike Aid Continental Professional team is a family and they are proving every day they have the work ethic to succeed.

Meron “Sunshine” Amanuel takes 5th place at UCI 1.2 Fenkel Challenge in Eritrea

Races in Africa are always something special for our team. We already have been reporting a lot about that and due to the special mission of the team – to develop African cycling and athletes – races on this continent are a special interest. This time there is no more superlative. The team is now in Eritrea which has a very special meaning indeed to the team. Eritrea is unique, it is a special country and a huge adventure. The first riders from Africa in the team were riders from Eritrea. It has a bit from: back to the roots!

What makes it so special to be in Eritrea? This small country is located on Africa’s east coast, right at the Red Sea and shares border with countries such as Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia but has a big and unique cycling tradition and history. The Italians brought this culture to this country during the colonial times beginning of the 20^th century. Nowadays cycling has a similar or even bigger meaning to the people in Eritrea than Football in our country. You can imagine that every little kid dreams of a big cycling career and talks about their legends and heroes. Not only names like Eddy Merckx or Miguel Indurain are popular, it is more the fact that their own heroes such as Daniel Teklehaimanot and our other former rider Mekseb Debesay – who made it from BIKE AID to the World Tour – are the idols of today’s generation in Eritrea.

Now our guys are there and are allowed to feel this special atmosphere and enthusiasm that is not easy at all to describe. The riders experience many nice and positive people in a country, which gives you astonishing moments.

The first of 4 UCI races has been held yesterday and led over 113 kilometers from the city of Foro to Ghindae. There is always an estimation in Europe that races in Africa are not on a high level, but this is completely wrong when you have ever done races there. In countries like Eritrea, Rwanda or in Northern Africa you find a huge potential and huge talent of riders who all grow to fulfill their dream of becoming a famous cyclist outside of their country. The only thing they don’t have: experience and the opportunity to show their talent outside or in Europe. From a point of motivation, there is no single word to describe that as this kind of motivation and passion simply not exists in our countries. Only in Eritrea there are 1.000 junior riders dreaming to become stars in the cycling world.

 If you take the conditions for instance, it is also very hard for European riders to compete as the capital Asmara is located on altitude of 2.400 m sea level.  Not that easy to get enough of oxygen that is so important to deliver a good performance.

Fortunately there are also 3 Eritrean riders in our team Stradalli – BIKE AID who are perfectly adapted to those conditions. Yesterday it was Meron Amanuel who managed the conditions the best of the team and finished on a great 5^th place just beaten by 37 seconds back on the winner!

Also Meron Teshome delivered a good performance on 11^th place. All in all a good opening of an interesting and unique week that needs to be followed!

Interview With Stradalli - Bike Aid Rider Meron Teshome

Meron Teshome of Stradalli – Bike Aid German team may only be 23 years old but he is already gaining attention around the European Cycling community. Trying to give sprinters from Eritrea a great reputation, Teshome is also trying to become a great representative for the rise in African cycling.

During an interview with Teshome, we were able to get to see how impactful the Stradalli – Bike Aid efforts truly are in the lives of many young African cyclists.

When you grow up in Eritrea you grow up a fan of road cycling. It’s just the way it is back home. It doesn’t matter if you race or not, over half the population of Asmara uses bikes to commute. My uncle and great uncle were also cyclists and they influenced me to do it. I grew up wanting to be just like Tom Boonen, cycling is in my blood and it is a passion I have had my entire life.

Comparing African Cycling To European

Some people don’t realize how much of a challenge it is to reach the top in Africa as compared to Europe. There are fewer opportunities in Africa, for example in Eritrea cyclists like Daniel Teklehaimanot or Nathanael Berhane will get more looks because they are very talented climbers. Daniel is already proving to the world the level of talent there is with Eritrean climbers but that doesn’t help me to move forward to where I want to go. Cycling is so big in Europe but I think Africa is finally catching up. The fan base is great and we have a great group of highly talented cyclists coming up and winning in Europe.

Despite such a young career, Teshome has picked up victories in the Tour of Rwanda, the Tour of Eritrea, the Eritrean National Championships, the African Games ITT in 2015 and the African Continental Championships TTT in 2013.

It’s not that I look at one win to be more important than another. They are all important to me. However, one that I will always cherish is the stage I won in the Tour of Rwanda, as Rwanda is a full of mountain country. That and the African Games ITT win was also special to me because I worked so hard to improve my TT skills. When I was with the MTN team in South Africa I learned a lot about being a professional racer. This is a sport centered around family because your team is your family but also because it really does take the support of your family back home to help you become the best possible cyclist.

Being a part of the Stradalli – Bike Aid family is very special for me. This has been a tough season to start, especially the Mallorca Challenge. However, when I look back to how far I’ve come in such a short period of time, I am now racing with a great team in some of big races and I get to race on the beautiful Aversa road bike from Stradalli, I know I’m very lucky to have these opportunities and I hope to make the most of them.

Welcome to UCI Tour of Eritrea, Africa

Stradalli – Bike Aid has landed in Eritrea to prepare for the upcoming Tour of Eritrea. Eritrea sits on the East Coast of Africa. The race will explore the entire country, from the mountainous inlands all the way to the Red Sea in the east.

Stradalli – Bike Aid will be using the Aversa for the Tour of Eritrea due to its versatility. The bike climbs well, but is also suitable for sprint finishes. More importantly, the frame will keep the riders comfortable on the rough roads of Eritrea.

The Tour of Eritrea covers 669 kilometers over 5 days of racing. Mekseb Debesay, formerly of what is now Stradalli – Bike Aid, won the Tour of Eritrea in 2013 the last time the race was hosted.

Stradalli – Bike Aid riders Meron Amanuel and Teshome Meron took 3^rd and 4^th place on the general classification during their last attendance at Tour of Eritrea.

Eritrea has historically been a country of turmoil, but the country is responsible for some of the most successful riders to arrive at the World Tour from Africa. Daniel Teklehaimanot, who has ridden for teams such as Orica GreenEDGE and is now currently with Dimension Data, is arguably the most successful Eritrean rider in history. Mekseb Debesay recently switched from Stradalli – Bike Aid to join Teklehaimanot at Dimension Data.

Stradalli – Bike Aid is now the team which hosts the most exciting, young talent to come out of Eritrea. Meron Teshome and Amanuel Mengis Ghebreindrias are just two Stradalli – Bike Aid riders from Eritrea, but they have already had many podium appearances in 2016.

The team is now doing race reconnaissance on the mountainous roads of Eritrea before beginning the 5 stage UCI 2.2 race which begins on April 19^th.

Stradalli – Bike Aid – Mont Ventoux training camp racers are preparing

The European racing schedule is intensifying. We are in full swing with the spring classics well under way. The Tour of Flanders finished this past weekend and Paris – Roubaix is nearly upon us. Many of the classics riders are in top form this time of year, but the general classification riders are just getting started.

Stradalli – Bike Aid began their season early in Africa , Germany and in Spain as do most UCI teams. Since they have taken several podiums in Africa and are now preparing for the important stage races with a team training camp.

Places such as Tenerife are famous for their high elevation and tough training conditions. Teams such as Sky and Astana frequent the area to prepare their riders for the high elevation of big stage races. This year Stradalli – Bike Aid has chosen the battleground for many Tour de France routes as their choice for high mountains training, Mont Ventoux.

Mont Ventoux has long been a mainstay of the Tour de France route due to its beauty, but also its diversity. The variety of conditions riders experience on Mont Ventoux makes it incredibly difficult. It begins as a sheltered, gradually rising road through the green forests of France, but finishes at the top of a barren and windy mountain peak with incredible steep roads which switch back and forth up the mountain.

Mont Ventoux has featured in the Tour de France 15 times over the years, 10 of which were summit finishes. In 2013, Chris Froome of Team Sky won atop Mont Ventoux on his way to winning the yellow jersey. The difficulty of the mountain has made those who win legends of the sport. Richard Virenque, Marco Pantani and Eddy Merckx are all on the list of riders to win atop Mont Ventoux.

Stradalli – Bike Aid will face similar challenges in Africa, Europe and Asia in the coming months. The Tour of Eritrea will reach 2,500 meters, a height surpassing that of Mont Ventoux. The team has been training all over the world in preparation for upcoming races in high tech facilities such as the STAPS facility in Koln, Germany. Now the team is bringing their fitness to the road and putting themselves to the test on the toughest mountains Europe has to offer.

Stradalli – Bike Aid’s next race will begin April 19^th in Eritrea. 

Stradalli – Bike Aid Racers Getting Ready At STAPS Institute

Stradalli– Bike Aid riders are now in fully focused on preparing for the Tour of Eritrea on beginning April 19^th. Several riders are currently training at the STAPS Institute in Koln, Germany.

The STAPS Institute is world famous for their work with World Tour level professional cyclists. STAPS works closely with top level athletes providing threshold testing, training data analysis and detailed development planning. They have brought several teams incredible amounts of success.

The infamous HTC – Highroad which saw Mark Renshaw and Mark Cavendish form an unbeatable sprint duo behind an even more intimidating sprint train was fueled by the guidance of STAPS between 2008-2011. Team Katusha of Russia and Garmin – Cannondale Pro Cycling have both trained with STAPS in the past and STAPS currently works with several top level triathletes and cyclists for more personalized training.

Tony Martin of Etixx – Quickstep is one of these athletes who have been supervised by STAPS since the beginnings of his professional career. Martin has seen 57 professional wins during his career including 3 UCI Time Trial World Championships.

This high quality facility is now home base for preparation for Meron Teshome and Amanuel Mengis Ghebreindrias for the upcoming Tour of Eritrea. The Tour of Eritrea reaches 2600 meters altitude, an altitude similar to the mountain ranges covered in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.

The Tour of Eritrea is tough, but the team is sparing no expense in ensuring the riders are prepared for the worst the Tour of Eritrea has to offer. Amanuel Mengis and Meron Teshome have already shown they have great form for the early season, but winning the Tour of Eritrea will be the next step in the development of these young riders.

Stradalli – Bike Aid races with a focus of developing young African riders, but also giving the people basic needs such as food and water. Education and training for these people is also provided as part of the Stradalli – Bike Aid mission. Eritrea is one of the poorest countries in the world. Very few can fathom what life would be like to live with only $150 USD per year, but this is reality Eritrean men, women and children. Two thirds of Eritrean households lack basic food security.

The idea of an Eritrean man finding success at the highest level of the sport is miraculous, but despite the odds being stacked against them, Eritreans are excelling at the top level of cycling. Daniel Teklehaimanot, Mekseb Debesay and Natnael Berhane of Dimension Data have made their way into the World Tour and are riding at the front of the hardest races. Eritrea is a small country, but they are cycling crazy people with a lot of determination who take nothing for granted.

Now at STAPS Stradalli – Bike Aid is helping Meron Teshome and Amanuel Mengis reach the next level with rigorous training in the state of the art STAPS facilities. Teshome and Mengis have gone from training on the war torn roads of Eritrea to racing the Challenge Mallorca. Now they have made it all the way to the number 1 training facility in Germany. They have talent, but they have the heart for what it takes to be truly successful in the toughest sport in the world.

Many teams are now inquiring about Teshome and Mengis after stellar early season performances in Africa and Mallorca. Both riders had standout performances at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and Tour du Cameroun. Stradalli – Bike Aid management said to lose them would be tough, but expected.

“When young guys are performing so well and they are so grateful for the opportunity, they are ideal candidates for top level teams. We love helping these guys develop into something special. To see them go is bitter sweet. We love having guys like Meron and Amanuel with us, but these guys are destined for the World tour. We don’t know if they will make the jump to the World tour next year or not, but either way we are happy that our mission to help African riders is succeeding and not just a dream.” Management said.

Great Article About The Stradalli - Bike Aid Team At The Tour Of Cameroon

Check out this great article about the Stradalli - Bike Aid Team At The Tour du Cameroun including pics and updates on each stage.

Recap of Stradalli - Bike Aid Success At Tour of Cameroon

Very good news from Stradalli – Bike Aid who sees it’s young rider from Eritrea, Amanuel Mengis achieve an authentic feat by winning the green jersey of the Tour du Cameroun 2016 UCI 2.2

In the final overall standings of the Tour of Cameroon the Stradalli – Bike Aid pro cycling team can be very pleased with their 4 podium finishes (including 1 victory by Jean Bosco Nsengimana in the 5^th stage). Amanuel Mengis finished 4^th place and only 1:01 minutes behind the overall leader. Patrick Lechner, Daniel Bichlmann and Joschka Beck also had strong showings. Mengis also finished 2^nd overall in the youth white jersey category and winning the green jersey , great tour for team Stradalli – Bikeaid .

The 13^th Tour du Cameroun finished Sunday with Stage 8 where riders fought to the finish to decide the outcome of several close battles for leaders jerseys and all jerseys .

Stradalli – BikeAid again placed several riders in the top 10 while working to give Amanuel Mengis the chance at victory in the general classication and the youth classification. At the finish of the race, Amanuel Mengis finished in second place in the youth classification, only 7 seconds behind the leader.

Amanuel Mengis took the youth classification jersey on the hardest stage of the Tour du Cameroun and in the process acquired many points in many different competitions of the race. He took 4^th place in the mountains classification and 4^thoverall in the general classification of the race.

Yves Beau, Stradalli – Bike Aid team director, said pressure was on all the teams to make improvements on general classification.

“Our plan before the stages was to be very active and make sure we are represented in the breakaway,” Beau said. “We were able to put most of the pressure on the Morrocan teams to compete for the GC and Amanuel Mengis brought his time gap to the yellow jersey down to just one minute.”

Though Amanuel Mengis fell short on the general classification, he won the points competition overall for best sprinter of the race and got the green jersey . The Stradalli – Bike Aid rider was in the top 10 at the finish of each stage, showing his great all around skill in flat finishes and hilly, windy stages and his great conditioning .

Patrick Lechner, Stradalli – Bike Aid rider, grabbed a podium spot on the way to helping the team fight for the general classification.

“I am more than happy and proud about today,” Lechner said. “I really wanted to win the stage, but in the end Martin was the strongest in our group and he deserves the victory. I am also very happy about the teamwork we have here at this race. That is a joy for all of us.”

Daniel Bichlmann, Stradalli – Bike Aid rider, said the roads in Cameroun threw all sorts of obstacles at them, but the team stuck together and the bikes rode great.

“Some of the roads we were on were very dangerous,” Bichlmann said. “The bikes rode and handled really well. Some teams had trouble navigating the rough roads, but we were able to just ride and focus on the race and that was key to our success.”

After great showings at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and Tour du Cameroun, Stradalli – Bike Aid is now ranked top 10 in the world in the UCI Africa Tour. This is a huge success for Stradalli – Bike Aid and the team will travel next to race the Tour du Maroc at the beginning of April.

Tour du Cameroun – Stage 7: Another Great Podium Finish For Stradalli – Bike Aid

Patrick Lechner of Stradalli – Bike Aid finished stage 7 in 3^rd place. After Amanuel Mengis’ strong performances the goal for the race team was clearly defined, they wanted to occupy early breakaways to put the Moroccans under pressure and force them to work.

After a few attacks Patrick Lechner could settle with 5 other riders from the field. The group maintained a lead of more than 6 minutes before the field was led by the Moroccans once more.

Then a battle for the overall title and Daniel Bichlman, Joschka Beck and Jean Bosco Nsengimana did an outstanding job for Amanuel Mengis where a high pace was set on the mountain by the “man in yellow.”

But the Moroccan team worked well and were able to stay out front. It was an exciting day of racing which should decide the final top group. In the last steep part, Martin Mahdar of Slovakia attacked again and Lechner could not follow. However, he was able to secure 3^rd place and the team and sposnors where very excited and proud of him.

“I am super happy with the day, you want to win but I cannot complain. Martin was just a little stronger in the end a deserved to win. I am happy that we raced as a team and worked well together.” Stradalli – Bike Aid rider Patrick Lechner.

Also very encouraging was the 6^th place finish for Amanuel Mengis, solidifying his 3^rd place ranking in the overall standings and youth classification lead and young riders white jerseys 

Daniel Bichlman of Stradalli – Bike Aid pro cycling team Cameroon Diary #3

After a relaxing rest day yesterday in touristy well developed Limbe on the coast of Cameroon we traveled with the tour entourage (with free room and board, including the driver of the Congolese national team who had accidentally missed their original arrival flight, but now they do not want to miss out).

The severe sixth stage between Mbanga and Bafanga was over 129km. From my first participation of the Tour of Cameroon in 2014 I just felt that this was the stage for me. That’s why I and the rest of the team were motivated even more to start on the offensive.

Finally, the group of the day consisted of a Moroccan and myself. Everyone who knows me knows how much I appreciate the typical North African practices. I was surprised to learn that we had a chaser and was even more surprised to learn it was my teammate Jean Bosco from Rwanda who had won the stage the day before. After we teamed up the Moroccan racer no longer wanted to work together.

To get the stage win to the team I decided to try and wear down the Moroccans by alternating attacks. I went on the attack and Jean Bosco wasn’t as fresh as the day before but I wanted to grab the bull by the horns.

All communications were difficult because Bosco is still trying to improve his English. I tried to be as aerodynamic as possible to master my Stradalli Aversa racing machine to curve the remaining 25km of the day.

Unfortunately the group got away from me before the summit of the last climb of the day. I was frustrated and just wanted to get back to the air conditioned hotel room. However, when I saw our teammate Amanuel Mengis had finished well to improve to 3^rd place overall I felt better. 

Cameroon Diary #2: Joschka Beck

The heat was brutal during the Tour du Cameroun. Between that and battling the Moroccans and Cameroonians who were able to acclimate to it much faster, it was a tough race. They ride and attack one after another and we find it challenging to keep up with them in the race. You find yourself thinking about how they would be able to adapt in Germany, in the snow.

Racing here is a lot different than anywhere else in the world . Stage 3 was the longest stage of the program, 177km. Without more topographic difficulties it was still a hard race. It’s not about tactics, it’s about going full throttle and giving it all that you have for hours in the heat . After 2 hours of barely reaching the half way point your legs are noticeably tried but you have to continue to attack.

We tried to stay up with the leaders but it wasn’t going to be easy. In the final, we went to the city of Douola and it began to rain and you had to stick to slippery roads very carefully because of all the construction sites all around. Daniel and Amanuel did a great job in the field sprint. It actually is funny that Amanuel is here with the sprint when he is actually considered one of the best climbers but he always manages to come stay up no matter the circumstances. 

STRADALLI – BIKE AID TAKES WHITE JERSEY IN TOUR DU CAMEROUN

Amanuel Mengis Ghebriendrias taken the lead of the youth classification of the Tour du Cameroun with only 2 stages left in the 8 day UCI 2.2 Africa Tour race.

Amanuel Mengis has placed in the top 10 in every stage so far at the Tour du Cameroun. His consistent placings have seen him slowly rise to the top of the general classification. He now sits 3^rd overall for the entire race and is the best young rider at the Tour du Cameroun.

Stradalli – Bike Aid also sits second in the points classification and third in the mountains classification. The Tour du Cameroun has been a huge success for Stradalli – Bike Aid this far in the race.

Stradalli – Bike Aid Management said the performance of the team and the bikes has been perfect from day 1.

“We haven’t had any issues with crashes and all the riders are riding better than we could have dreamed of. Our equipment is top notch so we have no issues competing at this level. Only two stages are left and the team is very positive.” Management said.

Stage 6 of Tour du Cameroun finished with an epic battle in the final which saw time large time gaps appear throughout the peloton.

Patrik Tybor of Slovakia took the top step of the podium on Stage 6 on the hardest hilliest day of the Tour of Cameroun, but Stradalli – Bike Aid rider Amanuel Mengis Ghebreindrias placed third on the day only 9 seconds behind the winner and put significant time into all the general classification rivals.

The Tour du Cameroun is an 8 stage, UCI 2.2 race on the UCI Africa Tour. In 2016, Stradalli – Bike Aid has raced and taken podium in finishes in every Africa Tour race they have entered. Stradalli – Bike Aid’s mission is to develop young African riders and 2016 has already been a year of success.

Stradalli – Bike Aid has placed multiple riders in the top 10 of every stage of Tour du Cameroun so far and are looking to continue that trend in Stage 7 and Stage 8.

Patrick Lechner, Stradalli – Bike Aid rider from Germany, said the team is performing just as they had planned.

“We came with the intention of riding a great team race and it is paying off,” Lechner said. “We have had great rides so far because of our teamwork. The bikes are riding great and there is nothing holding us back. I just stepped off the bike from stage 6 and I am already ready for stage 7.”

Stradalli – Bike Aid racer Amanuel Mengis makes the Podium On 6th Stage of Tour of Cameroon

Stradalli – Bike Aid pro racer Amanuel Mengis finished the sixed stage of the Tour of Cameroon and climbed to 3^rd in the overall and overall leader in youth classifications with his Aversa road bike now taking the white jersey

After yesterday’s rest day and the stage victory of Jean Bosco Nsengimana from team Stradalli – Bikeaid in the fifth stage, the team was very motivated to start today’s stage. The goal for today was to be aggressive in the mountains to make up time on the yellow jersey leading the Moroccans. Daniel Bichelman and other members of the Stradalli cycle – Bike Aid team planned an attack together which forced the Moroccans to act quickly. The timing was perfect for Amanuel Mengis to settle in a three-strong group of remaining pursuers of the yellow jersey to make up crucial time.

Now only 1:01 minutes behind the overall leader, Mengis ranks third in the overall standings and leads the juniors white jersey standings. The last mountain stage is tomorrow and a good starting point is feasible. 

Cameroon Diary: Daniel Bichlman

This is my third time in the West African country. I know what I’ve gotten myself into, Europe cannot compare with racing here. It literally would fill a book to try and explain the differences between the two.

After resting for a couple of hours on Thursday to heal the legs from the previous four days of ten-hour journeys from the wintry Chiemgau it was time to begin a new challenge. The stage looked simple enough on paper, only 128km of flat surface, no significant slopes and the best road conditions you could ask for.

There was no delay at the start, countless attacks and crazy initial tempo. Then after some time there was a 19 man lead group around our teammate of Stradalli-Bike Aid, Amanuel Mengis of Eritrea. Joschka Beck was also near the front and working hard to help Mengis throughout the day.

The heat was brutal and not a good thing for all of the pale European riders like myself but we did our best. It was also a challenge switching from the winter of home to the heat of Africa so quickly. In most cases the Stradalli Aversa road bikes we are riding are able to stand up to the challenge better than we are.

We raced well throughout the days as a complete team but Joschka , Patrick and I were envious of our teammates Jean Bosco Nsengimana and Amanuel Mengis because of how well they were able to handle the heat. We pride ourselves in helping them learn while racing in Europe but they are certainly the teachers here in Africa. Hopefully we can continue our progress and the next few days of racing will see great results for Stradalli -Bike Aid. 

Stradall-Bike Aid Jean Bosco Nsengimana Wins Stage 5 Of Tour du Cameroun

Today’s 5TH stage of Tour the Cameroon, Jean Bosco Nsengimana took his first victory for Team STRADALLI – BIKE AID in 2016. 

Daniel Bichlmann, Amanuel Mengis and Patrick Lechner ended up with a amazing places 6, 8 and 9. Four racers in the top 10 at a UCI 2.2

What more can we say than the obvious. Today was not the worst day the guys had so far. That the trend went up during the last days was also obvious, but no one expected such a result or even dream of it. Four Stradalli-Bike Aid riders finished among the Top 10 and taking the stage win in solitude,  just incredible ! “It was just an amazing day today. We were all highly motivated after Amanuel’s 2^nd place yesterday and planned to put Jean Bosco in the break, because everybody was watching Amanuel now. And we did it!”, Yves Beau, the Sporting Director of the team said.

The 5^th stage led about 101 Kilometers from Douala to Kimba through slight hilly landscape. Those were the best conditions for Jean Bosco Nsengimana, the climber from Rwanda who rides for the German Pro team STRADALLI – BIKEAID since January 2016: “I am more than happy now that I took the first win on my Stradalli Aversa and im in this awesome new jersey. This means really a lot to me and makes me proud to race for our team. And the guys support for me was absolutely great!” Nsengimana said. The ambitions still remain high now, as with Amanuel Mengis and Jean Bosco Nsengimana the team STRADALLI – BIKE AID has super strong climbers and both of them are still able to win the general classification.

Today is definitely a great day for the entire team and all sponsors for team STRADALLI – BIKEAID today we have a reason to smile and celebrate 

Stradalli-Bike Aid Racer Amanuel Mengis Finishes 2nd In 4th Stage of Tour of Cameroon

Again a pretty flat but fast stage at Tour of Cameroon with lots of attacks and hard fight to get the break. As from tomorrow on there will be more and more climbs, today’s goal was to save energy but still to try to keep a good position in the race. All STRADALLI – BIKE AID racers worked well together and in the final they did a great job by placing Amanuel in the front. But despite all riders worked well together it was not possible to bring back the last man from the break away and Amanuel finished 2^nd by winning the fild sprint!

The team remains confident for the upcoming days to have a fight with the current yellow jersey from Morocco!


“Hard day but great fun race , my Carbon Stradalli Aversa was immaculate super fast and stiff for a great field sprint win.

Stradalli-Bike Aid Heads Into The Tour du Cameroun

The Stradalli – Bike Aid Conti team begins the Tour du Cameroun today as the defending champions of the race. It's a race rich in history where the team has had major success in the past.

Last year Bike Aid racer Dan Craven, formerly Team Europcar, led the team to a general classification win in the Tour du Cameroun which was one of the biggest wins in team history. Craven is one of several success stories of Stradalli –Bike Aid who will be looking to match that result this year.

The Tour du Cameroun is a UCI 2.2 race and has been a part of the UCI Africa Tour since 2005. UCI Africa is contested by the top cyclists in all of Africa and attracts many pro continental and World Tour teams as well.

Daniel Bichlmann, Joschka Beck and Jean Bosco Nsengimana of Stradalli Bike Aid are all racers who have had a great amount of success so far this season and will be racing the Tour du Cameroun in hopes of continuing that trend.

Bichlmann, who was continuously present in breakaways at the Challenge Mallorca is looking for a repeat performance at Cameroun.

"The goal for each race is to improve as a team. I am off to a good start this year but we are not a team that is top heavy. Every race someone else will have a big day, we are only as strong as the last guy on our roster but that's the team you want to be on. We all pull for each other and do anything we can to help our teammate." Bichlmann 

Beck had the most impressive outing of the year for Stradalli – Bike Aid at the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, the biggest race of the year in the UCI Africa Tour. 

“We have a great group of guys here and we battle each and every week. It's always special for us to race in Africa because we spend so much time here. The competition is always tough but we love these races and hope to represent the team well." Joschka Beck