Eritrean Tesfom Okubamariam has been named the 2016 Tropicale Amissa Bongo African Cyclist of the Year in a ceremony held on Wednesday evening in Libreville, Gabon.

The 26-year-old was voted by a jury chaired by the five-time winner of the Tour de France, Bernard Hinault and included 25 other personalities from Africa and Europe among them, Kenya-born Chris Froome, the triple winner of the Tour de France.

This award, which was created by the Gabonese organizers of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in 2012, is meant to reward the African rider, who through his results and his performances has been able to spread the image of African cycling throughout the world.

Tesfom finished ahead of two former winners, South African Louis Meintjes and another Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot.

He will receive his trophy at the next edition of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo which will take place from February 27 to March 5, 2017.

Rwanda’s Valens Ndayisenga, the 2016 Tour of Rwanda winner, came in fourth place with 29 points, while the other Rwandan, Joseph Areruya came 9th with 13 points.

Top ten

1. Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea – Sharjah Team): 98 points2. Louis Meintjes (South Africa – Lampre-Merida): 91 points3. Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eritrea – Dimension Data): 41 points4. Valens Ndayinsenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data): 29 points5. Natnael Berhane (Eritrea – Dimension Data): 24 points6. Tsgabu Grmay (Ethiopia – Lampre-Meirda): 23 points7. Adil Barbari (Algeria – Nasr Dubaï): 22 points8. Abderrahmane Mansouri (Algeria – Sharjah Team): 15 points9. Joseph Areruya (Rwanda): 13 points10. Adil Jelloul (Morocco-Skydive Dubai): 9 Points

Agencies