CYCLING … Tour du Rwanda will be upgraded to a 2.1 UCI race effective 2019 after ten years as a 2.2 category race
Team Presentation Ceremony: Kigali Convention Center
Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) will for the first time hold a team presentation ceremony prior to the official start of this year’s Tour du Rwanda.
Rwanda Cycling Federation, Ferwacy, president Aimable Bayingana confirmed the development on Wednesday afternoon during the official unveiling of the 10th Tour du Rwanda roadmap at Classic Hotel in Kigali.
The 2018 edition of the annual race is scheduled for August 5-12 and, will start in Rwamagana town in a circuit stage. The area is regarded as the home to Rwanda’s cycling elites.
This year, the cycling fraternity will be celebrating a ten-year anniversary since the annual race got incorporated in UCI Africa Tour calendar. At the same time, it will be the last time that the event will be classified as a 2.2 UCI category race as it will be upgraded to 2.1 effective next year.
To celebrate the 10 years as well as bidding farewell to the 2.2 race category, FERWACY has added five new stages to this year’s edition, which according to Bayingana, will give many Rwandans a chance to witness and enjoy the race.
For a historic first time, the 2018 Tour du Rwanda will be preceded by a team presentation ceremony to be held on August 4 at Kigali Convention Centre, a day before the race kick-off.
"The main rationale of the ceremony is to reflect of far we have come, appreciate our partners and bid farewell to the 2.2 category before we turn into a 2.1 race,” said Bayingana.
As part of the new additions in this year’s race, there will be two departures from Musanze (Musanze-Karongi, stage 4 and Musanze-Kigali, stage 7) to honor the Africa Rising Cycling Centre (ARCC) that hugely contributed to the development of the sport in Rwanda.
The centre is located in Musanze District.
Full 16-team list for the 2018 Tour du Rwanda
Team Rwanda, Club Benediction and Les Amis Sportifs (Rwandan), GSP Algeria (Algeria) Team Sampada (South Africa), Kenyan Riders Safaricom (Kenya), Bai Sicasal-Perol de Luanda (Angola) and Swiss side, Team Loup Suisse Romandie.
Others are; Marc Pro Gym One cycling team (USA), Team Haute-Savoie Rhone-Alpes and Pays des Olonnes Cycliste Côte de Lumière (France) and Germany’s Team Embrace the World.
The national teams for South Africa, Eritrea and Ethiopia will also participate in the race.