1. Ebrahim Redwan (Ethiopia, 2h56’20’’ 6’’)2. KipkemboI Salim (Kenya, 2h56’20’’ 5’’)3. Smit Willem Jakobus (South Africa, 2h56’23’’ 03’’ 2’’)4. Mansouri Abderrahmane (Algeria, 2h56’23’’ ‘’)5. Giday Kibrom (Ethiopia, 2h56’23’’ ‘’ 3’’)6. Jean Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda, 2h56’23’’ ‘’)7. Ephrem Tuyishimire (Rwanda, 2h56’23’’ ‘’ 2’’)

Others Rwandans

13. Hategeka Gasore 2h56’50’’ ‘’22. M. Uwiduhaye 3h03’58’’ 07’38’’24. B. Uwizeyimana 3h04’00’’ 07’40’’

Rwanda International Cyclist Valens Ndayisenga failed to make it past stage one of the ongoing Meles Zenawi Tour for Green Development in Ethiopia.

He crushed out of the 120km stage one race from Wondo to Hawassa after suffering a tyre puncture twice yesterday. According to the rules of the race, he is officially out of the entire competition.

Other riders who dropped out in stage one include Mohamed Houssein Abdi of Djibouti, Abaka Kurotimi from Nigeria and Rahman Abdul of Ghana.

Ebrahim Redwan of Ethiopia won stage one after clocking 2h56’20’ 6’’. He was followed by Kenyan Kipkemboi Salim with 2h56’20’ 5’’ and Smit Willem Jakobus of South Africa came third in 2h56’23’ 03’ 2.’’

Jean Bosco Nsengimana was Rwanda’s best in sixth place with 2h56’23’’ followed by teammate Ephrem Tuyishimire with 2h56’23’ 2’’ while Hategeka Gasore came in 13th position with 2h56’50’’.

Michael Uwiduhaye came in 22nd place with 3h03’58’’ 07’38’’ and Bonaventure Uwizeyimana finished 24th with 3h04’00’ 07’40’’. The race will run through to September 2 in Ethiopia.

Team Rwanda delegation left the country for the 6-day cycling tournament on Saturday and will be racing against Africa’s best riders. This race is a 2.2 UCI category, the same class as Tour du Rwanda.

Rwandan riders will use this competition and many other upcoming international competitions as early preparations for the 9th Tour du Rwanda set for mid-November.

Under the tutelage of Felix Sempoma, the 6-man Team Rwanda roster in Ethiopia includes; the two-time Tour du Rwanda champion Valens Ndayisenga, the 2015 Tour du Rwanda winner Jean Bosco Nsengimana, reigning national champion Gasore Hategeka, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, and youngsters Michel Uwiduhaye and Ephrem Tuyishime.

Three of the six cyclists representing the country at the annual UCI African Continental Tour race, are fresh from competing at the Colorado Classic held on August 10-13 in the United States and will be using the gained experience to vie for top prizes. Those riders are Jean Bosco Nsengimana, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana and Jean Claude Uwizeye.

The race has attracted 20 cycling teams from 19 countries.

The represented countries include Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and the hosts Ethiopia who are fielding two teams.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw