Tour du Rwanda routes

Prologue stage, Nov. 13: Amahoro Stadium-Amahaoro Stadium (3.3km)Stage 1, Nov.14: Kigali-Ngoma (96.4km)Stage 2, Nov. 15: Kigali Convention center-Karongi (124.7km)Stage 3, Nov. 16: Karongi-Rusizi (115.9km)Stage 4, Nov. 17 Rusizi-Huye (140.7km)Stage 5, Nov. 18 Muhanga-Musanze (125.8km)Stage 6, Nov. 19 Musanze-Kigali regional stadium (103.9km)Stage 7, Nov. 20 Kigali Amahoro stadium-Kigali Amahoro stadium (108.0km)

The annual Tour du Rwanda international cycling event will for the first time reach the far southern part of the country following the addition of two new routes; Karongi-Rusizi (115.9km) and Rusizi-Huye (140.7km) as the annual event passes through Rwanda’s vast tropical rainforest of Nyungwe.

This year’s 8th edition is scheduled for November 13-20 with 17 teams from different parts of the world set to grace the 2.2 UCI-Africa competition.

Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) president Aimable Bayingana revealed the new routes and the entire programme for the eight-day event during a press conference held at Classic Hotel in Kicukiro on Wednesday.

"This year’s event will go through more mountainous routes than all previous editions. Apart from the first route from Kigali-Ngoma, all the other stages will involve more mountain climbing which gives a good opportunity for Rwandan riders to retain the title,” said Bayingana.

Rwanda will maintain three teams including Akagera, Karisimbi and Muhabura with the hosts aiming for a successful title defense for the second time having won the last two editions through Valens Ndaysenga and Jean Bosco Nsegimana.

In 2014, Ndayisenga became the first Rwandan rider to win the Tour du Rwanda since its inception on the UCI Africa calendar in 2009, and was dethroned by teammate, Nsengimana.

However, both riders have since joined professional teams—the former signing for South Africa’s Dimension Data for Qhubeka team while the latter, joined Germany-based Team Bike Aid.

Bayingana added that, "We have maintained the seven stages but introduced two new routes mainly because of (limited) capacity, we cannot cover the whole country, however, we are hopeful in the next three years, we will be able to cover a wider part of the country.”

According to Bayingana, over 85 riders will grace this year’s edition and eight national teams including Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa are expected to compete for glory.Six professional teams are also expected; among them are four European-based sides like Bike Aid (Germany), Team Loup Sport (Switzerland), Global Cycling Team (Netherlands) and Haute-Savoie Rhone-Alpes (France).

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