Daniel Teklehaimanot is back in his continent to race the African championships. The Dimension Data rider explained why he decided to go to Morocco and being present at this event.

"I need to be here to share something with Africa," Teklehaimanot told Cyclingnews on Tuesday. His career started here, in Morocco thanks to Michel Thèze, the former World Cycling Center coach. The Frenchman helped the Erithrean rider. After his first participation in the African Championships in the Ivory Coast, he did the next edition in Casablanca and showed himself to Thèze. He offered him a training camp at the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.

"My career certainly started in Casablanca. Without that race, without Michel [Thèze], my life would probably have been different. In the same way, I know someone else than me could have been the first black African rider at the Tour de France. But this is me. I was the first one in a Grand Tour, at the 2012 Vuelta, the first one in London Olympics, and the first one to compete in the Tour de France alongside Merhawi Kudus. This is life, this is my life and now I must take that responsibility."

"Daniel is pushing himself too hard by wanting to make everyone happy!", Thèze added. "He flew three weeks ago to receive his 2015 Best African rider's prize at the Tropicale Amissa Bongo , Gabon, now he is in Morocco, he raced Tour of Dubai and Tour of Oman in between... Daniel's place is now in Europe and pro races."

Teklehaimanot is an idol for a lot of African riders. Abdul Razak Umar (Ghana selection) admires his hero. "I saw Daniel at the African Championships in Egypt and I spoke to him. I wanted to know his secret. He told me: determination and training. No drugs, absolutely no drugs. Just hard work!"