RWANDA’s representative at the 2017 UCI Road Championship in Bergen, Norway, Valens Ndayisenga ended his run in a disappointment after failing to finish the Elite Men’s road race. The 23-year-old rider was among 64 riders, who registered DNF (Did Not Finish) as the week-long event came to a climax on Sunday.
Sunday
Elite Men’s road race, top three
1. Peter Sagan (Slovakia) – 6:28:11
2. Alexander Kristoff (Norway) – 6:28:11
3. Michael Matthews (Australia) – 6:28:11
RWANDA’s representative at the 2017 UCI Road Championship in Bergen, Norway, Valens Ndayisenga ended his run in a disappointment after failing to finish the Elite Men’s road race.
The 23-year-old rider was among 64 riders, who registered DNF (Did Not Finish) as the week-long event came to a climax on Sunday.
Only two South Africans and one Eritrean, out of 11 African riders, managed to finish the 267.5km grueling race, which was claimed by Peter Sagan for his third consecutive win of the Elite Men’s road race.
The Slovakian finished ahead of home favorite Alexander Kristoff of Norway and Australian Micheal Matthews, who came in the second and third places respectively.
Nairo Quintana of Colombia, the 2013 and 2015 Tour de France first runner-up, 2014 Gilo d’Italia and 2016 Vuelta a Espana champion, was among the 64 riders, who did not finish the race.
Two-time Tour du Rwanda champion, Ndayisenga, was making his third consecutive appearance in UCI Road World Championship since his debut in 2015 in Richmond, United States. However, it was the first time he was competing in the Elite Men’s category.
In Norway, Rwanda was represented by three riders namely; Ndayisenga in the Elite Men’s competitions as well as Samuel Mugisha and Joseph Areruya in Men’s U23 category but the duo also failed to finish the 191km U23 road race earlier on Friday.
After the UCI Road World Championship, Team Rwanda Cycling now shifts attention to the upcoming Grand Prix Chantal Biya, set for October 11-15, in Cameroon.