Aklilu Arefayne (21) was considered one of Eritrea’s greatest cycling talents, but suddenly had to put an end to his professional dream. He has been living in the asylum center in Eindhoven for six months. With the help of the local cycling community, he is working on a comeback.
Aklilu ended up in the asylum center in Eindhoven six months ago. He wanted to play sports again, but apart from playing football and basketball, there was little option for him. “I was so sad and down,” he told the Volkskrant.
That changed when he started working in the bicycle workshop of the asylum seekers’ center. Through that workshop he came into contact with Thomas, a friend of Eindhoven resident and avid cyclist Nol van Loon (33). “He told me that a talented cyclist worked there who had been a professional for two years. He had been without a bike for months.”
Van Loon did not let go of the story. He still had a number of gravel bikes at home through sponsorship. He decided to give one to ‘Aki’. “I know how important it is to have a bicycle. Moreover, cycling makes it easier to meet new people in a foreign country.”
Brabant talent team
From then on the ball started rolling again. Cycling shop owner John Knoops arranged a racing bike for him a short time later. Van Loon then took him in tow. “He is getting a rhythm back in his life, training for two to three hours every day and going to the gym.”
Van Loon also put him in touch with other cyclists in the Eindhoven region. “Together with the Eindhoven cycling community, we try to get him to cover as many kilometers as possible. Aki is now also training with a Brabant talent team from the KNWU.” His goal: to become a professional cyclist again.
Biniam Girmay
Just a few years ago, Aki was considered one of Eritrea’s greatest cycling talents. In 2022 he became both Eritrean and African junior time trial champion. Through his role model Biniam Girmay from Eritrea, he ended up with the Belgian team Intermarché-Wanty in 2023.
The transition to Northern Europe was difficult for him. “I didn’t speak English, so I didn’t understand everything. I couldn’t cook either. Life there was very different.” Still, he impressed on the bike. In his second European race he rode straight to the podium in the German junior classic Eschborn-Frankfurt. He also started in major competitions such as Paris-Roubaix for juniors, the Tour of the Future and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Insecure
After two years he switched to the Italian team General Store. That’s where it went wrong. What exactly happened is unclear, but he had to stop cycling. At the same time, tensions in Eritrea continued to rise and he was in danger of being called up for military service. With no prospects for a cycling career, he decided to flee.
In Eindhoven he is now trying to make his cycling dream come true again. “I like time trial best, because the strength is the fastest.” His future is still uncertain. Yet he continues to hope for a new opportunity as a Dutchman. “I will fight for the Netherlands,” he says in the interview with NOS.
“He is making great strides,” says Van Loon. “During the first training sessions with the selection, he still had difficulty with nutrition and rhythm, but he continues to learn.” Van Loon hopes that Aki can join a Dutch professional team. His asylum procedure makes this difficult for the time being: he does not yet have a Dutch competition license and is not allowed to travel abroad. And it could easily take another two years. “I hope he will soon get the chance to let his legs speak.”
