After riding 812km at the just concluded Tour do Rio, Team Rwanda Cycling registered their highest finish with Patrick Byukusenge coming in 20th in the general classification after posting 19:03:10 in five days of competition.
General classification
Top three:
1. Cesar Gustavo Veloso (W52 Quinta da Lixa) 18:41:45
2. Kleber Ramos (Carrefour Funvic) 18:44:20
3. Alex Diniz (Carrefour Funvic) 18:44:43
Rwandans
20. Patrick Byukusenge 19:03:10
30. Camera Hakuzimana 19:28:13
36. Joseph Biziyaremye 19:36:42
44. Janvier Hadi 19:47:14
After riding 812km at the just concluded Tour do Rio, Team Rwanda Cycling registered their highest finish with Patrick Byukusenge coming in 20th in the general classification after posting 19:03:10 in five days of competition.
The 24-year old Byukusenge finished 21 minutes and 25 seconds behind eventual winner Cesar Gustavo Veloso of W52 Quinta da Lixa, a notable performance that wowed his coach Sterling Magnell.
Byukusenge had a week ago to the day, won the Western Circuit in the Rwanda Cycling Cup from Muhanga to Karongi, a total distance of 85km but the earnest climber did it in style winning by an impressive 2:46.
It is this change in attitude that Magnell has since urged Byukusenge to go all out at races and with the help of his teammates; Janvier Hadi, Jean Bosco Nsengimana, Joseph Aleluya, Joseph Biziyaremye and Camera Hakuzimana, managed to make a long lasting impact at the 2.2 UCI America Tour event.
"The level was very high. It was faster than US racing and the style of racing in the UCI Americas Tour is relentless and second only to pro tour races in the world in my opinion,” noted Magnell, a former US national champion, who has raced in the UCI America Tour in Argentina and Uruguay in the past.
He added that, "The performance has been impressive especially considering how unfamiliar the course, competition and how we might match up going in and it is not only me, many riders and mangers have expressed to me that they are very impressed with us (Team Rwanda).”
This, according to Magnell, sets up well for the upcoming All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville from September 4-19 where Rwanda will be seeking to challenge for the cycling gold when the competition gets underway from September 10-13.
However, Magnell was concerned with the last stage events that led to Nsengimana and Aleluya failing to finish. He said, "Bosco (Nsengimana) and Aleluya got dropped on a descent which is unacceptable. I am going to make sure that never happens again.”
"Going through a competition like this is catharsis; it breaks you and hardens you at the same time. It will awaken their ability to do much more and dig deeper. We are a strong and beautiful team!” Team Rwanda’s American trainer.
Only 54 riders finished the five-day competition that had 84 riders completing stage one. The annual event attracted riders from 15 teams and Team Rwanda Cycling was the only African side.
Nsengimana and Aleluya, who were on course to finish second and third in that order in the U-23 category, could not reach their set target after crushing out in a downhill descent.