Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru (Tigrinya: እየሩ ተስፎም ገብሩ; born 10 December 1996) is an Ethiopian professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's Continental Team Team Komugi–Grand Est.[1][2] She rode in the women's road race and time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2020. She competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris for the Refugee Olympic Team.[3]

Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru
Eyeru in 2017
Personal information
Full nameEyeru Tesfoam Gebru
Born (1996-12-10) 10 December 1996 (age 27)
Aksum, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Team information
Current teamTeam Komugi–Grand Est
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Amateur team
2018UCI WCC Women's Team
Professional teams
2019–2020WCC Team
2023–Team Grand Est–Komugi–La Fabrique

Biography

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Gebru was born in Aksum and is Tigrayan. At 16, she joined the local Ketema Axum Cycling Club. The following year, she relocated to Tigray's cycling capital Mekelle, where she was selected for the Messebo Sement Factory Cycling Club's women's team.[4]

The Tigray War broke out in 2020. Gebru was separated from her mother and lost some of her friends and family. When a route was opened up between Mekelle and Addis Abbaba in 2021, Gebru fled. She arrived in France in August 2021 ahead of the World Championships in Belgium, but did not to show up in protest as "I did not want to represent my country because it would have been supporting the genocide of my people". She was granted asylum in July 2022,[5] and has since lived in Nice and near Nancy.[4]

Major results

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2015
3rd   Team time trial, African Games
2016
2nd   Team time trial, African Road Championships
National Road Championships
2nd Road race
2nd Time trial
2nd Road race, National Junior Road Championships
9th KZN Summer Series Race 1
2017
African Road Championships
2nd   Team time trial
7th Time trial
2018
African Road Championships
1st   Team time trial
3rd   Time trial
4th Road race
2019
African Road Championships
1st   Team time trial
2nd   Time trial
2nd   Road race

References

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  1. ^ "Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Tsgabu opens 2020 season with two tour races in Spain". Ethio Cycling. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Mathew (16 February 2024). "Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru Chosen as Torchbearer for Paris 2024 Olympics • ProCyclingUK.com". ProCyclingUK.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b Marshall-Bell, Chris (4 September 2023). "'Cycling saved my life' - Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru on facing civil war and a message of hope through pro racing as a refugee". Cycling News. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru: the UCI World Cycling Centre's Olympic torch bearer". UCI. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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