This year’s Tour du Rwanda could be the best ever for Rwandan riders. Team Rwanda coach, Jonathan Boyer, has said.

"There is abit of pressure on the riders because many people would like to see a Rwandan win the most important race in the country and there is a chance of that happening,” Boyer told Times Sport on Monday.

Rwanda will field three elite teams in the tour scheduled to run from November 16-23. The teams include Team Karismbi, Akagera and Muhabura and it is this mixture of youth and experience that the American trainer is banking on for a top 3 finish in the 8-day International Cycling Union-Africa (UCI)   race.

He added: "Our riders are very fit, in good physical condition, and some have acquired enough experience over the years, so we expect better results this year.”

However, the former Tour de France rider, Boyer remains guarded about going ahead of himself in his predictions regarding whether one of his riders could actually win the coveted yellow jersey that has eluded the country in the last five editions.

Rwanda’s only professional rider—Adrien Niyonshuti will not take part in the race as he will be representing his South African club MTN Qhubeka in the World Series in Italy.

Boyer is adamant that the trio of Valens Ndayisenga, Hadi Janvier and Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, who have had training stints in Canada, Swiss and France this year, are ready to take up the mantle and impress.

Sixteen teams from South Africa, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon, Gabon, the USA (Novo Nordisk Development Team), France (Haute Savoie) and Germany (Team Bike Aid) are expected to take part.

The competition will start with a 3.5km time-race around Amahoro stadium and then run through seven stages: Kigali-Kibungo, Rwamagana-Musanze, Musanze-Muhanga, Muhanga-Rubavu, Rubavu-Nyanza and conclude in Kigali.

Meanwhile, the Rwanda Cycling Federation has organised a 2-day competition from the 25th to the 26th of this month to test the preparedness of the teams ahead of Tour du Rwanda.

Cycling giants Eritrea and Ethiopia will also take part in this competition. Riders will compete in a 250km race from Musanze to Muhanga-Rubavu and then Rubavu to Musanze.