Today

Individual Time Trial (ITT)Junior men’s ITT (18.6km) – 8:30am-9:45amJunior women’s ITT (18.6km) – 8:50am-9:45amElite women’s ITT (40km) – 9:30am-11:10amElite men’s ITT (40km) – 10:20am-12:30pm

Wednesday, Team Time Trial (TTT)U23 & Elite men, top 31. Eritrea 2. Rwanda 3. Algeria

U23 & elite women, top 31. Ethiopia 2. Eritrea3. Rwanda

Junior men, top 31. Eritrea2. Rwanda3. Namibia

Junior women1. Rwanda2. Burundi.

HOSTS Rwanda and Eritrea dominated day one of the 14th African Continental Road Championship in the Team Time Trial (TTT), yesterday.

The two cycling giants won a combined seven medals out of eleven medals that were up for grabs. Rwanda won four while Eritrea claimed three, including two gold medals.

Rwandan riders bagged gold in the junior women’s category, silver in elite men and junior men, as well as bronze in elite women. Archrivals Eritrea struck gold medals in elite men and junior men, and silver in elite women.

The U23 & elite men’s Team Time Trial, the biggest and last event of the day, saw Eritrea’s quartet of Saymon Mehari Musie, Mekseb Debesay, Amanuel Werkilul Ghebreigzabhier and Eyob Metkel stretch the country’s dominance in Team Time Trial to a record 8th consecutive win in the annual continental championship.

Sterling Magnell’s Team Rwanda, which was comprised of Adrien Niyonshuti, Joseph Areruya, Jean Bosco Nsengimana and Valens Ndayisenga, finished second to win silver while last year’s silver medalists Algeria walked away with bronze.

In an exclusive interview with Times Sport, a disappointed Team Rwanda’s Areruya said, "It is unfortunate that we didn’t win gold. We had the win in sight but sadly Nsengimana suffered a bike puncture. Thankfully, we took silver. We have to keep a positive mentality and remain focused in races ahead. Congratulations to Eritrea for the 8th consecutive title milestone.”

In elite women’s category, Ethiopia dethroned Eritrea to win gold while hosts Rwanda finished in third position to settle for bronze.

The championship resumes today with Individual Time Trial (ITT) in four different age and gender categories; elite men, elite women, junior men and junior female race respectively.

The U23 & elite men and their female counterparts will race against time over a 40km distance from Nyanza, Kicukiro to Golden Tulip Nyamata in Nyamata and return to Nyanza. Juniors, boys and girls, will cover 18.6km.

Last year at the 13th edition staged in Egypt, Eritrea’s Meron Teshome claimed gold in elite men’s ITT while Aurelie Halbwachs of Mauritius snatched gold in elite women’s category.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw