A total of 85 cyclists from across the world will compete in next week’s 8th edition of the annual Tour du Rwanda, according to the organisers, the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY).

The 2.2 UCI-Africa Tour road race gets underway on November 13 and will run through November 20, attracting 17 teams, each fielding five riders.Rwanda will be represented by three teams namely; Team Rwanda, Benediction Club and Les Amis Sportif de Rwamagana.

Among the 17 teams include eight African national teams, Team Rwanda, Team Kenya, Team Cameroon, Team South Africa, Team Ethiopia, Team Eritrea, Team Egypt and Team Algeria. "Each of the 17 teams has confirmed their participation and the five cyclists they will be fielding, we expect a total of 85 riders this year,” FERWACY president Aimable Bayingana told Times Sport in a phone interview on Monday.

The race will also have four UCI continental teams, which include Dimension Data For Qhubeka (South-Africa), Kenyan Riders Downunder (Kenya), Cycling Academy Team (Israel), and Stradalli-Bike Aid (Germany).

In addition, five clubs from different countries have confirmed their participation. They include Rwanda’s Les Amis Sportif de Rwamagana and Benediction Club (Rubavu district), as well as Team Lowest rates.Com (Canada), Team Haute-Savoie Rhone-Alpes (France) and Team Furniture Decarte (Switzerland).

Canada’s Lowest rates.com were the first foreign team to arrive in Rwanda on Sunday.The other teams are expected to arrive in the country to arrive this week.

Since 2009 when Tour du Rwanda became part of the UCI-Africa Tour, a total of 330 riders, representing 37 countries and five continents, have participated in the annual event. Rwandan teams: Team RwandaNathan ByukusengeAbraham RuhumurizaJoseph BiziyaremyeGasore HategekaEric Nduwayo Benediction ClubPatrick ByukusengeSamuel MugishaJean RuberwaJeremy KaregeyaAlex Nizeyimana Les Amis Sporif de RwamaganaJoseph AreruyaJean Claude UwizeyeMathieu TwizeraneEphrem TuyishimireSamuel Hakiruwizeye

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