Tour du Rwanda winner Valens Ndayisenga has moved to an impressive sixth position in the 2014 Africa Tour Rankings which were released last week.

The 20-year-old started the Tour du Rwanda in 15th position but jumped nine places to 6th after winning the UCI listed competition last month.

"I am happy and proud of what I have achieved but I have to work hard so that I can be the best on the continent,” Ndayisenga said.

As a country, Rwanda is ranked fifth in Africa. Morocco is the top ranked team on the continent followed by Eritrea, Algeria and South Africa.

The rankings are based on performances in different cycling races on the continent.

Eritrea’s Mekseb Debesay who finished 27th in the Tour du Rwanda tops the rankings with Morocco’s Mouhssine Lahsaini in second place, Algerian Azzedin Lagba is third while Moroccan duo Esaid Eboulache and Salaheddine Mrouni are fourth and fifth respectively.

Ndayisenga started his career in "Les Amis Sportifs” in Rwamagana, the same club that South African based rider Adrien Niyonshuti started his career from.

Ndayisenga became the youngest rider and first Rwandan to win the Tour du Rwanda competition since it got incorporated on the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar in 2009.

Meanwhile Rwamagana District last week awarded Ndayisenga Rwf200,000 for winning the Tour du Rwanda, something that district officials say will inspire several youth in the area.

UCI chairman lauds Ndayisenga

Meanwhile the International Cycling Union (UCI) President Brian Cookson has hailed Ndayisenga for winning the Tour du Rwanda.

"I would like to personally congratulate you for your fabulous victory at the Tour du Rwanda. You will go down in history, as the first ever Rwandan to win "your” National Tour.”

"Having had the pleasure of meeting you when you were at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, your achievement means even more to me and I am sure that the months spent training in Switzerland enabled you to develop the physical ability and technical expertise which helped you to achieve this great victory.”

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