TEAM AMANI

Bidding farewell to Team AMANI. For now. Our partnership with Team AMANI is coming to a close. We’re proud of the achievements this East African project has achieved in the three years we’ve been supporting them with the finest performance clothing. To send AMANI off in style, we’ve created one last apparel collection.

COEFFICIENT OF KANGA

Proven aerodynamic apparel, enriched with the legacy of East African printing and materials. From the Kanga of Kenya to Congolese Kuba, via the Imigongo of Rwanda.

“There are many inspirations from all the riders’ countries on here. For me, it’s the pattern called Imigongo from Rwanda, traditionally printed on fabrics, it’s special to have that represented.”

Xaverine Nirere - Team AMANI

ENDING AN ERA

The farewell collection is a rework of the racing design worn throughout this season, inspired by the multi-hued magic of East African fabrics and the craft traditions that bring them into being. These techniques reflect centuries of craft, a tangible legacy of the region. We’re also making the Black Mamba Development Squad jersey available for the first and final time – so you can show your support for AMANI’s stagiaires from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and more.

Across the capsule, you’ll find recurring motifs representing sunshine, peace and energy. The flower Adey Abeba, an emblem of Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash), is used in repeating patterns across garments. A visual hook with a deeper history. Look closely and you may even find an intentional irregularity or two, in homage to the authentic humanity of hand-woven textiles. The sharp tones of the collection are achieved by taking natural dyes as a base and tuning them up to a contemporary high-performance palette.

“The mix of green, blue and red reminds me of textiles used in Uganda, pulling tradition into our team design. The flowers are very recognisable to all of East Africa. I’m excited to wear them all year.”

Larot Lawrence - Team AMANI

DESTINED FOR GREATNESS

Team AMANI has never been afraid to swing for the fences. Throughout the past three seasons, we’ve seen AMANI achieve things once thought impossible for an African project: from registering the first women’s UCI team from the continent and breaking into Europe, to seeing its athletes compete for their nations at Kigali 2025 – it has been a wild ride.

GREAT RIDES END AT THE CAFE

To bid goodbye to the athletes of AMANI, where better than an Addis Ababa coffee shop? Ethiopia has a unique coffee-drinking heritage, but the desire for fellowship, a chat and a restorative hit of caffeine in the midst of a ride is nothing less than universal.

In Ethiopia, coffee is culture, community and hospitality. The Rapha + AMANI partnership has always embodied that, too. It is a ritual that binds different people together, precisely what the team has done for East African cycling over the years.

“In 20 years, I believe there will be many Black African cyclists fighting for the yellow jersey” says Tsgabu Grmay. In a place where they cultivate the greatest runners on Earth, AMANI is on a journey to produce the best cyclists on the planet, too.