Sept. 10: Stage 1Bouaké-Bouaké - 93.5kmSept. 11: Stage 2 Bouaké-Dabakala - 145kmSept. 12: Stage 3 Languibonou-Sakassou - 25kmSept.13: Stage 4 Bouaké - Daoukro - 160.5kmSept. 14: Stage 5Daoukro-Niablé - 140kmSept. 15: Stage 6Abengourou-Abengourou -120kmSept. 16: Stage 7Abengourou-Adzopé - 105km

Rwanda national cycling team (Team Rwanda) will travel to Ivory Coast aboard RwandAir today to compete in the 2017 Tour de Côte d’Ivoire - Tour de la Réconciliation, slated for September 10-16.

Comprising five young riders, Team Rwanda will be seeking to improve on last year’s performance. At the 2016 edition, Rwanda finished third behind Morocco and Ivory Coast, while Gasore Hategeka finished 10th in the individual general classification.

The team is under the guidance of Benoit Mungankindi while Théoneste Karasira is the team mechanic.

The team to Ivory Coast includes; Ephrem Tuyishime, arguably the most experienced rider on the team as well as Samuel Hakiruwizeye, Jean Claude Mfitumukiza, Michel Uwiduhaye and Jean Damascene Ruberwa.

Uwiduhaye is fresh from competing at the recently concluded Meles Zenawi race for Green Development in Ethiopia where Team Rwanda finished in second place out of 17 teams.

Tuyishime is the only member on the travelling team that represented the country at last year’s edition where he finished 6th in the U23 category and 19th in overall general classification.

Rwanda’s best performance at the annual Continental Tour 2.2 UCI category race was during the 2015 edition when Janvier Hadi (now retired) finished second and Joseph Areruya was fourth, while Team Rwanda topped the team classification.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw