2012 African cycling championships: Eritrea’s Natnael Berhane claims two titles at once

The 2012 African cycling championships ended yesterday with the amazing exploit of Eritrea’s upcoming champion, Natnael Berhane.

Natnael Berhane of Eritrea, left,

 

The 2012 African cycling championships ended yesterday with the amazing exploit of Eritrea’s upcoming champion, Natnael Berhane. He competed for the men’s under-23 and men’s elite in the road racing and gleaned both titles when he conquered the event that brought together both categories in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. 

Berhane overcame South Africa’s Jay Thomson at just 200m to the finish line after both men had broken away from a ten-man group that led the race. Thomson took silver in the elite category while bronze went to another Eritrean Frekalsi Debesay.
For the under-23 categories, the silver medal went to Algeria’s Hamza Merdj meanwhile South Africa’s Songezo Jim claimed bronze.

 The next African championship shall take place next year in Namibia.