Today

Okondja to Franceville – 170km

Stage 1 results

U-23 category

1. Bonaventure Uwizeyimana (Rwanda) – 02:48:39

2. Jayde Julius (South Africa) – 02:48:39

3. Adil Barbari (Algeria) – 02:49:29

4. Jean Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda) – 02:49:30

5. Elyas Afewerki (Eritrea) – 02:49:30

7. Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda) – 02:49:46

General Classification

1. Rafaa Chtioui (Skydive Dubai) – 02:45:43

2. Abdelkader Belmokhtar (Algeria) – 02:47:32

3. Giovanni Bernaudeau (France) – 02:47:47

4. Bonaventure Uwizeyimana (Rwanda) – 02:48:39

5. Edgar Pinto (Skydive Dubai) – 02:48:39

14. Jean Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda) – 02:49:30

17. Patrick Byukusenge (Rwanda) – 02:49:30

22. Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda) – 02:49:46

26. Joseph Biziyaremye (Rwanda) – 02:50:21

28. Janvier Hadi (Rwanda) – 02:50:21

29. Mekseb Debesay (Bike Aid) – 02:50:21

Bonaventure Uwizeyimana finished fourth at the opening stage of the ongoing La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon, yesterday. The stage covered a total distance of 170km from Bongoville to Moanda town.  The relentless Uwizeyimana, who has mastered the art of this particular race, stayed with the leading peloton and finished ahead of Portuguese Edgar Pinto of Skydive Dubai from the United Arab Emirates.

The 22-year-old is the only non-professional rider among the top five riders and following his success at last year’s edition where he won stage 4; Uwizeyimana is expected to be a force to reckon with.

Today’s race from Okondja to Franceville, a tough 170km will provide yet another challenging test for the Rwandan riders who are competing in their third competition on the UCI Africa Tour calendar in 2015.

In search of points that will see the top eight riders on the UCI Africa Tour at the end of the year qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, every effort and result matters at this point for every Rwandan rider.