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History

The Tour of Eritrea was one of the first organized cycling races held in Africa in 1946, but was only open to non-indigenous riders. The second edition of the Tour was held 55 years later, in 2001, when it returned to independent Eritrea. The race has been held each year since 2001.

Between 2001 and 2009, only riders from Eritrea participated in the race. Since 2009 however, riders have participated from throughout the African continent and the world. Each year, teams return to race across Eritrea’s varied terrain.

The varied landscape includes the pristine beaches and desert coastline to the east, the humidity offering challenges to riders from all climates. Traveling west, towards the central highlands, riders climb nearly two kilometers to the cooler climates of the plateau. The western plains of Eritrea offer a warm, gently rolling hills for riders to race.

The Tour of Eritrea has been recognized by the UCI as part of the African tour and 2017’s race will repeat in April.