In the absence of his main rivals, the two-time Tour du Rwanda champion Valens Ndayisenga, riding for Austria’s Tirol Cycling Team, won the Race for Culture on Saturday for his first victory on the 2017 Rwanda Cycling Cup calendar.

The 23-year old won the 167.8 kilometers race that started from Gatuna in Gicumbi to Nyanza district in Southern Province after clocking 4 hours, 25 minutes and 59 second, the same time as Club Benediction’s Patrick Byukusenge, Mathieu Twizerane of Cycling Club for All, Jean Ruberwa (Nyabihu Cycling Club) and Hassan Rukundo from Kigali Cycling Team. / Photograph: Sam Ngendahimana