La Tropicale Amissa

Bongo 2019 roadmap

January 21

Stage 1: Bongoville – Moanda

January 22

Stage 2: Franceville – Okondja

January 23

Stage 3: Léconi – Franceville

January 24

Stage 4: Mitzic – Oyem

January 25

Stage 5: Bitam – Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea)

January 26

Stage 6: Bitam – Oyem

January 27

Stage 7: Nkok – Libreville

TEAM Rwanda cycling assistant coach Felix Sempoma is positive on his riders’ prospects to retain the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo title. The race starts on Monday and will run through January 27.

The Rwandan delegation to the 14th edition of the annual UCI 2.1 category race departed Kigali Friday night, at 1:45am aboard an Ethiopian airlines flight, and would have a three-hour stopover in Addis Ababa before connecting to Libreville, Gabon on Saturday morning.

Sempoma who also doubles as the head coach of UCI Continental Team, Club Benediction, says that Rwandan cyclists have notably stepped up their game over the last five years, and accumulated enough experience at the highest level on the continent and beyond.

"They [riders] have increased their competition level tremendously and are more experienced compared to the past year. I would not be wrong to say that we have a good chance to win the title again, and my boys are ready and fit for the challenge,” said Sempoma.

Team Rwanda riders will be looking to defend the title of the continent’s biggest cycling event following last year’s stunning performance from Joseph Areruya as the 22-year old became the first Rwandan, and only the third African, to win the Gabonese race.

Areruya assumed the pole position of the general classification after winning Stage 4 and subsequently took the yellow jersey, which he would hold onto till the final – seventh – stage.

 "We are well aware of the magnitude of the challenge in Gabon, but it’s not something that we cannot overcome. We did it last [when no one expected us to] and I am confident we can do it again, I have trust in my cyclists and their determination to reclaim the title,” he further noted.

The seven-stage race, with a total of 860km, will be contested by 15 teams, of six riders each.

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo is the first event on UCI Africa Tour this year and only the 10th official race on the International Cycling Union (UCI) world calendar.

Rwanda delegation:

Riders: Joseph Areruya, Samuel Mugisha, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, Didier Munyaneza, Jean Claude Uwizeye and Yves Nkurunziza.

Staff:Felix Sempoma (coach), Theoneste Kasrasira (mechanic) and Patrick Kayiranamura (soigneur).

Full 15-team peloton

National teams: Gabon, Rwanda, Morocco, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Cameroun.

Professional teams:Direct Energie, Vital Concept-B&B Hotels and Arkea-Samsic all from France, Androni Giocatolli from Italy and Pro Touch from South Africa.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw