Team AMANI has long been at the helm of a new era in African off-road bike racing. Events such as the Migration Gravel Race have allowed the team to compete against an international field in their home country, offering opportunities and levelling the playing field when it comes to elite level cycling. POC has long been a supporter of the team and has today released a Team AMANI collection to further contribute to the team’s goals for the future.
The release of the collection also pays homage to Sule Kangangi, who tragically passed away at the Vermont Overland Gravel Race a few weeks ago. Kangangi was the captain and driving force behind Team AMANI and was also a key part of the design process for the new collection.
“Our AMANI team helmets and eyewear are very special and represent much more than performance or protection. Along with the team, Sule was at the heart of the design which was created to give the team a consistency and still offer each rider a uniqueness and ability to fly their national flag. We have been racing in them for some time and take great pride in what they stand for. And now, on top of that, they are a connection to Sule that we want to share with everyone as we know he would be overjoyed seeing our team supported and our helmets and eyewear ridden all around the globe,” explained Team AMANI’s manager Mikel Delagrange.
The collection has already been worn by the team at various gravel events and feature decals of the flags of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, which are the home countries for the AMANI team riders. POC notes that they considered a single colour for the helmets and glasses but came to the conclusion that something so regimented would not represent the diversity of Team AMANI, so allowed the riders to choose colours themselves, meaning each helmet represents the individual rider’s perspective. Team logos and colour orange tie the helmets together.
The Aspire Clarity glasses are also made using the same approach, so they all represent each individual’s personality on the team. POC’s Aspire Clarity eyewear retails for EUR 199 and the Poc Ventral Air MIPS Amani Edition helmets cost EUR 260. All proceeds from the helmets and glasses go towards POC’s continued support of the AMANI project and team and to give opportunities to East African riders to showcase their talents.
Jonas Sjögren, CEO of POC explains: “We are incredibly proud to support Team AMANI. They epitomise a spirit and approach to cycling that we should all embrace. We know that not all kilometres are equal, but opportunity should be, and we can all play a part in trying to level the playing field. The recent tragic events have knocked us all backwards, and it is incredibly hard for everyone involved, but Sule would tell us that our work breaking down the barriers, supporting the team and raising awareness for the project is only just beginning and we should not stop. And we won’t.”
Shop POC’s limited-edition Team AMANI Collection here.
