Men elitesGasore Hategeka: Club Benediction 152 pointsJean Claude Uwizeye: Les Amis Sportif 138 pointsJoseph Areruya: Les Amis Sportif 122 pointsRene Jean Paul Ukiniwabo: Les Amis Sportif 114 pointsJoseph Biziyaremye: Cine Elmay 81 points

U23Jean Claude Uwizeye: Les Amis Sportif 136 pointsRene Jean Paul Ukiniwabo: Les Amis Sportif 134 pointsJoseph Areruya: Les Amis Sportif 119 pointsEphraim Tuyishimire: Les Amis Sportif 109 pointsSamuel Hakiruwizeye: Cycling Club for All 84 points

JuniorsEric Mazibayo: Club Benediction

WomenBeatha Ingabire: Les Amis Sportif

Team RankingsLes Amis Sportif 454 pointsClub Benediction ‘A’ 330 pointsCycling for All 213 pointsCine Elmay 153 pointsBenediction ‘B’ 117 points

CLUB Benediction de Rubavu rider Gasore Hategeka is eyeing more success in 2017 after being crowned the 2016 Rwanda Cycling Cup champion on Saturday at Amahoro National Stadium.

The 29-year old Rwanda international dethroned Jean Bosco Nsengimana, who won the inaugural edition in 2015. Gasore scooped the highest points (152) from seven races.

The seven races that comprised the 2016 Rwanda Cycling Cup included; Farmers’ Circuit (Kigali-Nyagatare), Race to Remember (Bugesera-Kigali+Circuit), Kivu Race (Ngororero-Rubavu+Circuit), that were all staged in May.

The others were; July’s Race for Culture (Nyamagabe-Nyanza+Circuit), the Northern Circuit (Rubavu-Musanze+Circuit) and the Muhazi Challenge (Kigali-Rwamagana+Circuit) staged in August, and the Central Challenge (Kigali-Muhanga+Circuit), which was held in September.

Gasore, who finished 21st in last year’s Tour du Rwanda, which was won by compatriot Valens Ndayisenga, claimed the 2016 Rwanda Cycling Cup title after beating Les Amis Sportif’s trio of Jean Claude Uwizeye (138 points), Joseph Areruya (122 points ) and Rene Jean Paul Ukiniwabo (114points) while Joseph Biziyaremye, from Cine Elmay, completed the top five with 81 points.

"I’m very delighted to have won this title, I worked very hard last year and I feel I deserve the title. I hope this year comes with more titles for me, I feel stronger than ever and believe I will defend my title this year,” Gasore told Times Sport.

In the U-23 category, Les Amis Sportif’s Jean Claude Uwizeye won the title with a total of 136 points, only two points ahead of his teammate Rene Jean Paul Ukiniwabo, with Areruya finishing in third with 119 points.

In the men’s juniors and women categories, the winners were rather determined based on the winners of most races and Club Benediction’s Eric Manizabayo, who won four out seven races, took the crown.

Beatha Ingabire, who rides for Rwamagana-based Les Amis Sportif, claimed the women title having won four races out of seven.

Meanwhile, in team rankings, Les Amis Sportif de Rwamagana was crowned the champion with a total of 454 points.

They were followed by their archrivals Club Benediction de Rubavu ‘A’ with 330 points, while Cycling for All, from Huye, finished third with 213 points, with Cine Elmay finishing in fourth place with 153 points.

The 2017 Rwanda Cycling Cup edition is expected to start in May. The competition is aimed at preparing Team Rwanda riders for international competitions.

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