Stage 3: Thursday, November 2

Kinigi – Musanze: 73Km & 1600m

Rwandan cyclists Valentine Nzayisenga and Diane Ingabire are eager to maintain their impressive form at the Rwandan Epic as they set sights on winning the race at any cost.

The duo has been a dominant force in the women’s race, having outperformed their rivals to win the first two stages so far.

Having won the Kigali-Kigali prologue on Tuesday, the ladies again second stage 2 (Rusiga Resort to Musanze Stadium) after covering 102,5km in 4 hours, 42 minutes and 13 seconds.

It may be their first mountain bike experience but, with two consecutive wins in as many stages at Rwandan Epic, there is a reason for optimism for the 2023 Tour Cycliste Feminin International du Burundi winners.

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"This is my first mountain bike as a professional athlete, and I feel no pressure at all, I may not win but I want to challenge to the last, and to set the best time possible,” Nzayisenga said.

"Of course, competing in the mountain bike will definitely give me valuable experience that I can use in future competitions. I believe that we will gain more experience in the competition and gain a lot as athletes who want to move to the next level.”

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The five-stage mountain bike race started at Fazenda Sengha in Mount Kigali with huge attention from hundreds of cycling fans across Kigali before it shifted to different hilly destinations of high altitude nationwide.

The race embarks on Stage 3 which heads to Musanze from Kinigi during which riders will cover 73km on altitude of 1600m.

The past two stages have been quite challenging but Ingabire is only positive that she and her teammate Nzayisenga have already adapted to the pace and rhythm which, sha says, will help them to perform better in the next stages.

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"I want to reduce my time; I believe we have the potential to impress. We will continue to work hard during the competition in order to be in good shape for the mountain bike,” Ingabire said.

The 2023 Rwanda Epic has attracted cyclists from various countries across the world. The likes of Belgium, Check Republic, Germany, Spain, France, England, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Holland, Sweden, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, United States, Zambia and host nation Rwanda are all represented in the race.