Rwanda national cycling team (Team Rwanda) on Tuesday entered residential camp at the Africa Cycling Rising Center in Musanze District ahead of their first competition in the new year; the 2017 African Continental Road Championships that will be held in Luxor, Egypt from February 14-19.

The team that is led by head coach Sterling Magnell began early preparations at the start of December last year before breaking off for festive season on December 17.

The riders will immediately kickoff rigorous preparations as they bid to improve on last year’s campaign when Rwanda scooped a record three medals before going for another one-week break on January 12.

Last year’s edition was held between February 21-26 in Casablanca, Morocco and Team Rwanda returned home with a record tally of three medals including one gold and two silver medals from the time trial and road race events.

Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu, the only female rider on the team, claimed silver in the women individual time trial, the first time for a Rwandan female to win a medal at that level.

Two-time and reigning Tour du Rwanda Champion Valens Ndayisenga improved on his bronze-medal performance in 2015 to win the gold medal in the U-23 individual trial. This was Rwanda’s first gold medal in the competition.

In the most grueling and last race of the competition, the 180-kilometer men’s elite road race, Rwanda collected another silver medal.

Jean-Claude Uwizeye finished two seconds behind Team Dimension Data’s Gebreigzabhier Amanuel to earn the silver medal in the Men’s U-23 race.

"It is good to prepare early for this competition, we had a successful campaign last year and our aim is to win more medals, Team Rwanda has been improving season after season and we want to prove it again in Egypt,” said Ndayisenga who tops the list of riders that will carry the national flag

The other male riders include; the 2015 former Tour du Rwanda champion Jean Bosco Nsengimana, Jean Claude Uwizeye, Joseph Areruya, Samuel Mugisha, Jean Claude Uwizeye, Rene Ukiniwabo and Bonaventure Uwizeye.

Janvier Rugamba, Ephrem Tuyishimire, Gasore Hategeka, Eric Manizabayo, Eric Nduwayo and Jeremy Karegeya also made the cut while Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu, will again feature in the women category.

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