Tsigabu Girmay dreams of becoming the first African winner of the Tour de France and the 21-year-old Ethiopian's impressive showing at the African Cycling Championships suggests it is far from an impossible dream.

From The BBC

Tsigabu won gold in the under-23 individual time trial in Burkina Faso and also finished second overall in the senior standings.

And while he said his silver medal in the seniors came as a major shock, many of his coaches and team managers told me they were not surprised.

Tsigabu is a product of the World Cycling Centre, a body which receives the majority of its funding from the sport's world governing body, the UCI, and the Olympic movement.

Tsigabu was the only rider wanted to participate or win a stage on the Tour de France, he would aim to win it outright.

And, at 21, he has got plenty of time to learn from his mistakes.

Tsigabu told BBC he wants to be as famous back home as his legendary Ethiopian compatriot, runner Haile Gebrselassie.

His potential has certainly been recognised. Of 500 cyclists who have passed through the World Cycling Centre's African satellite, nobody has impressed the coaches as Tsigabu did.

"Some champions," the coach said of the Ethiopian, "are born, not made."