Three Team Rwanda cyclists have been included on a 20-man shortlist of nominees for the African Cyclist of the Year 2015.

According to a statement from Team Rwanda Cycling, the trio includes newly crowned Tour du Rwanda champion, Jean Bosco Nsengimana, best U-23 rider at this year’s La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, and the reigning individual time trial national champion, Valens Ndayisenga.

Team Rwanda Cycling technical director Jonathan ‘Jock’ Boyer said that, "Having three riders selected among 20 in Africa is a major development and proof that Rwanda has come a long way in the development of the sport. We congratulate all three riders.”

On the list too is the Eritrean duo of Daniel Teklehaimanot and Merhawi Kudus, who became the first black Africans to compete at the Tour de France this summer and they have competed in Tour Rwanda in the past with Teklehaimanot winning the event back in 2010.

Former winners of the award including Mekseb Debesay of Eritrea (2014), South Africa’s Louis Meintjes (2013) and Natnael Berhane (2012) also made the list.

The voting is being conducted this week and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

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Full list:

Nsengimana (Rwanda), Uwizeyimana (Rwanda), Ndayisenga (Rwanda), Teklehaimanot (Eritrea), Kudus (Eritrea), Rasmane Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Mouhissine Lahsaini (Morocco), Meintjes (South Africa), Salah Eddine Mraouni (Morocco), Youcef Reguigui (Algeria), Jacques J. Van Rensburg (South Africa), Clovis Kamzong (Cameroon), Mekseb Debesay (Eritrea), Adil Barbari (Algeria), Abdelkader Belmokhtar (Algeria), Berhane (Eritrea), Rafaa Chtioui (Tunisia), Soufiane Haddi (Morocco), Daryl Impey (South Africa) and Grmay Tsgabu (Ethiopia).

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