Team Rwanda duo of elite riders Valens Ndayisenga and Joseph Areruya have their sights set on podium finish as they race in Individual Time Trial (ITT) this morning at the Continental Road Championship in Morocco.

The ongoing Continental Road Championship started on February 21 and will run through to February 26 in Morocco’s capital, Casablanca.

According to Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) president Aimable Bayingana who is also in Morocco, the pair of cyclists is doing great and ready to impress today despite Monday’s hindrance in Team Time Trial.

The set of two will be competing against the continent’s best seeking for Team Rwanda’s first medal in the North African country and will be racing against the clock on a total of 40.40km. At the 2014 edition, Ndayisenga finished second in this competition and is keen on making it one step better to emerge gold medalist.

Ndayisenga and Areruya have shifted focus on today’s individual time trial race after a dismissal start of medal chase in Team Time Trial (TTT) on Monday. A quartet of Team Rwanda men that also included Joseph Biziyaremye and Patrick Byukusenge finished 5th out of eleven teams behind Ethiopia. Eritrea won gold, Algeria claimed silver while Morocco scooped bronze medals.

On Tuesday, Rwanda’s only female representative at the week-long African championships, Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu was supposed to compete in women’s Individual Time Trial. By press time, the race had not started.

Rwanda is represented by a total of eleven riders, seven in men’s elite category, one in men’s U23 category, two in men’s junior category and one in women’s category.

Coached by tactician Jonathan Boyer, the team which left last Friday has also been accompanied by mechanic Jamie Bisell, physiotherapist Obedi Ruvogera and FERWACY president Bayingana.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw