Henok Mulubrhan on sacrifice, setbacks, and the road for African cycling

Henok Mulubrhan’s rise began at home in Eritrea, where national results opened the door to the UCI World Cycling Centre in Switzerland. There, he learned the routines and expectations of elite sport, which provided him the pathway to go and reach the WorldTour. "They teach you everything about professional life. It was really helpful for us to know what cycling looks like," he said. 

The move coincided with the COVID period, which meant long spells away from family. "It was for the goal, for the future. My family understood the sacrifice. My father gives me motivation every second," he told Domestique.

A place in the Qhubeka NTT development team put him on the threshold of the top tier before the project collapsed. The impact was immediate. "It is disappointing when a team falls. You sign WorldTour and then you have to search another team," he said. 

He restarted with the German continental squad Bike Aid and quickly turned results into momentum. By spring 2022 he had won the African road title and would go on to win three times. "It is not easy to be three time African champion. I am really happy for that and it is history," he said.

Results with Green Project Bardiani CSF Faizanè brought his first Grand Tour at the Giro d'Italia, a crash course in survival and speed. "Grand Tours are 21 days full gas. You need power to make it," he said. The experience sharpened his ambition and cleared the path back to the WorldTour. "My dream was always a WorldTour contract. Finally, I got it with Astana," he said, giving thanks to Alexandre Vinokourov, who he says believed in him.

Mulubrhan is clear that his story is not about a lack of talent but of opportunity. He points to a lack of UCI-level races on the continent that limits visibility for riders who cannot get to Europe. "We have a difficult journey to pass into WorldTour teams because there are not many races in Africa," he said. "It would be very good if we had more 2.1 or classics-level races." For many, the Tour of Rwanda is the only major shop window. "If you do not have results in Rwanda, it is hard to get a contract. Teams do not often look at local races," he said. He credits support structures that do exist, while arguing that calendar depth matters most. "They work a lot for African riders, but we need races," he said.

Mulubrhan opens his year at the Alula Tour, where he is racing now and eyeing specific opportunities with Astana. "Alula Tour is a stressful race, but we have a really good team. Stage three and the last stage are our chances. We will do our best," he said. 

From there, he targets the Muscat Classic and the Tour of Oman. "Last year I was third at Muscat, and Oman is really good for me," he said. After Oman, Tour du Rwanda is under consideration. Spring objectives include Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, Tour de l’Ain, and the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye.

He sees a wave of talent in Eritrea that can flourish with the right chances. "We have a lot of young riders with big talent. If they get opportunities to show themselves, they can go higher than now," he said. 

The success of Biniam Girmay has already changed what many believe is possible. "When somebody from your country did it, you believe you can make it. It is about sacrifice and training hard," he said.

The second half of the season will turn to Spain, with the Vuelta a España on his program for stage opportunities and team goals. "It is a race I really want to do. I want to fight for stages and help the team when it matters," he said.