Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation have completed their 2026 line-up with the signing of Monaliza Araya Chneslasie, the reigning Eritrean national champion in both the road race and time trial. The 21-year-old has agreed a two-year contract, marking her first step into UCI-level racing and another important addition to the team’s long-term development pathway.
Araya arrives with a growing reputation as one of Africa’s most promising young riders, having already built an impressive palmarès at national and continental level despite never having raced in Europe. Based in Adi Akelo in southern Eritrea, more than 2000 metres above sea level and close to the Ethiopian border, her background reflects a cycling culture where the sport is part of daily life rather than a specialist pursuit.
“I am so excited to be part of the team,” Araya said. “In my first season, I expect to learn a lot, to be competitive in the races I will take part in, and to aim for good results.”
A standout performer on the African stage
Araya’s 2025 season confirmed her status as one of Eritrea’s leading riders. She claimed both national titles, winning the individual time trial before sealing the road race with a powerful long-range sprint against two rivals. Those victories added to her elite national road title from 2022, as well as a junior double achieved in 2021, underlining her consistency across age categories.
Beyond national competition, she has also contributed to Eritrea’s strength in team events. Alongside her teammates, Araya has won titles at both the African Games and the African Championships in the team time trial. At the most recent African Championships in November 2025, she finished third in the U23 time trial, a result that reinforced her potential against the clock and aligned closely with her longer-term ambitions.
Identified early by the team
Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation sports director Gosia Jasinska first encountered Araya at the World Championships in Rwanda, although discussions had already begun weeks earlier. For Jasinska, it was the combination of physical ability and motivation that stood out most.
“I met Monaliza at the World Championship in Rwanda, and a few weeks before that we had already been in contact because she wanted to join our team,” Jasinska explained. “I saw that she was very motivated and determined, and that she was one of the strongest African riders in the Worlds road race.”
Jasinska believes Araya’s profile fits well with the team’s development focus. “I think she has the potential to be a strong puncheur and also a good time trialist. We will need to work on her bike skills and communication, but she has a huge passion for cycling. I believe this is the key to growing into a great rider.”
Cycling as a way of life
Araya’s path into the sport reflects the deeply rooted cycling culture in Eritrea, where bikes are both a practical tool and a source of pride. Like many riders from the region, her first experiences came not through formal competition but through everyday riding.
“When I was a child, I used a bike to go to school, and that’s when I started to love cycling,” she said. “I also enjoyed watching races in our village.”
She cites Daniel Teklehaimanot as a major source of inspiration, the first Eritrean to race the Tour de France and the first Black African rider to wear a classification jersey at the race. His achievements, along with the global success of Biniam Girmay, have helped shine a light on Eritrea’s cycling heritage, something Araya will now represent at European level.
Completing the 2026 Generation squad
Araya becomes the fifth and final new rider announced for Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation’s 2026 roster. She joins Sophie Alisch, Erja Bianchi, Tsige Kahsay Kiros and Weronika Wąsaty as part of a group designed to balance immediate development with long-term potential.
They will be supported by five riders returning from the 2025 season: Valentina Corvi, Emily Dixon, Jule Märkl, Joëlle Messemer and Awen Roberts. Together, the squad reflects the team’s ongoing commitment to identifying talent early and providing a structured route into top-level racing.
For Araya, the move represents both a personal milestone and a wider opportunity. As the first Eritrean rider to join Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation, she will carry her nation’s colours into European racing for the first time, taking the next step in a career that has already shown significant promise well beyond her years.
