Race route

Prologue: Meerendal – Meerendal (26km)

Stage 1: Saronsberg – Saronsberg (106km)Stage 2: Saronsberg – Saronsberg (93km)Stage 3: Saronsberg – CPUT Wellington Campus (103km)Stage 4: CPUT Wellington Campus – CPUT Wellington Campus (73km)Stage 5: CPUT Wellington Campus – Boschendal (93km)Stage 6: Boschendal – Boschendal (74km)Stage 7: Boschendal – Meerendal Wine Estate (84km)

Rwanda’s leading mountain bike rider Nathan Byukusenge left the country on Tuesday afternoon aboard RwandAir for the 12th Annual Absa Cape Epic scheduled for March 13-20 in South Africa.

Byukusenge, 35, who will be Rwanda’s only representative at the 8-day long mountain bike competition, starts training this morning to acclimatize himself to weather and the terrain of South Africa ahead of the race kickoff on Sunday.

Byukusenge will use the tournament as part of preparations for this year’s African Continental Mountain Bike Championships set for March 30 to April 4 in Lesotho.

The talented veteran is one of few Rwandan athletes who have already qualified for this year’s Olympic Games, slated for August 5-21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Others are Janvier Hadi (road cycling) and two marathoners namely Claudette Mukasakindi and Jean Baptiste Simukeka.

Team Rwanda in Cameroon

Elsewhere in cycling, Team Rwanda also jetted out of the country for Cameroon on Tuesday afternoon ahead of this year’s Tour du Cameroon, slated for March 12-20.

Captained by veteran Abraham Ruhumuriza, the team of six riders also includes Camera Hakuzimana and Gasore Hategeka as the other two senior cyclists. Making their debut on Team Rwanda are Ephrem Tuyishime, Mathieu Twizerane and Eric Nduwayo.

At the 2015 edition, Team Rwanda finished top in team classification, Emile Bintunimana finished third in general classification, while Camera Hakuzimana finished third in the U23 category.

The team was led by head coach Sempoma, mechanic Issa Ntibituye and physiotherapist Innocent Uwamungu.

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