Team Rwanda rider Nathan Byukusenge is gearing up for the upcoming World Mountain Bike Championships set for September 1-6 in Vallnord in Andorra, Spain.

The veteran rider, who boasts a rich experience in the mountain bike category as much as he does in the road race category, will become the first Rwandan to compete at the quadrennial international event.

"Mountain biking gives me a lot of joy and as I prepare for the World Championships next month, I am training for four hours every day to make sure that I am up for the challenge in Spain,” said Byukusenge.

Byukusenge is currently training for four hours daily at the 6.5km track that was used for this year’s African Mountain Bike Championships, right next to the Africa Rising Cycling Centre in Kinigi, Musanze District.

He goes around it up to seven times every hour to enhance his endurance as he braces himself to take on the world’s strongest mountain bike riders.

Team Rwanda Cycling coach Sterling Magnell told Times Sport in an exclusive interview that, "Nathan’s training is more intense with less volume in regards to the time spent on the bike, and he focuses more on endurance because mountain biking is grueling.”

"His training routine focuses on challenging technical features, jumps, sections that are barely passable, technical skills like bike handling, improving his ability to navigate corners, jumps, roots, gaps, bumps and extremely stiff drops that are even harder to walk down,” he said.

Byukusenge has previously competed at the Cape Epic thrice, an annual mountain cycling event in the Western Cape in South Africa and described by Olympic gold medalist Bart Brentjens as the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’.

Byukusenge’s first attempt at the Cape Epic was in 2008 was alongside eventual Olympian Adrien Niyonshuti and the two rode their way to an impressive finish before competing alongside Zambian Trust Mwana Ngandu in 2009.

He joined up with compatriot Hassan Rukundo for the 2013 edition.

Byukusenge has since competed at the Swiss Epic twice – in 2013 and 2014.

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