Top 51. Janvier Hadi (Benediction) 3:26:172. Gasore Hategeka (Benediction) 3:26:533. Joseph Biziyaremye (Cine Elmay) 3:28:214. Abraham Ruhumuriza (CCA) 3:28:215. Mathieu Twizerane (CCA) 3:28 236. JP Rene Ukiniwabo (Amis Sportifs) 3:28:23

Janvier Hadi, riding for Benediction cycling club, clocked 3 hour 19 minutes and 20 second to win the ‘Race for Culture’ yesterday from Nyamagabe to Nyanza, which covered a total distance of 119,6km.

The 25-year-old sprint master orchestrated a sole breakaway from Cyitabi and increased his lead from 30 seconds as he entered Huye and stretched it to a two-minute lead in Nyanza. 

(Video by Faustin Niyigena for The New Times)

He later led the race to four minutes and 20 seconds at the end of the 14 laps but his teammate, Gasore Hategeka reduced the gap to 32 second at the end of the race.

Seventeen-year-old Janvier Rugamba of Amis Sportifs won the junior category after riding from Cyitabi to Nyanza (98.8km) plus seven laps and took home Rwf50,000 while his teammate Rene Ukiniwabo, 18 was the best rider in the U-23 category.

Hadi, who rides for Germany-based Team Bike Aid, walked away with Rwf250,000, having bagged Rwf100,000 as the overall winner but also as the first rider to enter Huye town, as well as Nyanza town, earning him Rwf50,000 on each of the two occasions.

Youngster Ukiniwabo had earlier won the first sprint finish into Nyanza town after departure from Nyamagabe, earning him Rwf60,000.

In women category, Eritrean Dawit Mengis Yohana, who is training at the Musanze-based Africa Rising Cycling Center, emerged the winner of the race that covered 88.4 Km plus four laps from Nyamagabe to Nyanza.

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