One of Afghanistan’s most decorated cyclists will be the first Afghan cyclist to join a Women’s WorldTour team. She signed with the German squad Ceratizit WNT Pro Cycling—and will join Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam, who will also make her debut in the big leagues.
The 21-year-old cyclist had a strong 2024. She carried the Afghan flag at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, defying the Taliban government’s ban on women in sports. In the road race, won by Kristen Faulkner, she finished 75th.
A strong 2024
Her season was highlighted by a stage win at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche. She secured 10th overall at the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa, where she also finished 2nd in the Queen of the Mountains classification and achieved top-five stage results twice (4th and 5th). At the Ardèche, she claimed 2nd in the Queen of the Mountains classification and ranked 7th in the points standings, mirroring her points performance at the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa. Her other notable achievements included 9th in the Queen of the Mountains classification at the Bretagne Ladies Tour and 14th in a stage of the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa. Additionally, she was the runner-up in the 2022 Afghanistan national road race championship.
✍🏻 New rider announcement: @hashimi_fariba 🇦🇫
We’re excited to announce that Afghan National Champion Fariba Hashimi joins the squad for 2025, becoming the first rider from Afghanistan to reach the Women’s WorldTour.#BuiltToLast pic.twitter.com/NTv6U5j9YX
— CERATIZIT – WNT Pro Cycling (@ceratizit_wnt) December 12, 2024
Hashimi will now compete at the highest level of women’s professional cycling with the German squad, which is home to a roster of top riders including Spanish star Sandra Alonso, British champion Kate Archibald, and 2021 Olympic track gold medalist Franziska Brauße. In 2024, she rode for the World Cycling Centre Continental women’s team, which is organized in collaboration with the UCI. In 2023, she rode for Israel Premier Tech Roland Development, the home of Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Maggie Coles-Lyster.
Hashimi began racing at 15, but after President Joe Biden withdrew American troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban bolstered its presence and within months banned women from competing in sports. In 2022, she then made the difficult decision, along with her sister, to flee the country so she could continue racing. “Leaving was not easy,” Hashimi said. “My heart was ripped in two.” The same…
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