It will be a no-show for some of the country’s elite riders in Kivu Race when the fourth stage of Rwanda Cycling Cup 2019 takes place on Saturday.

Benediction Club’s trio of Bonaventure Uwizeyimana and Patrick Byukusenge who are currently training in the U.S, as well as Monaco-based Yves Nkurunziza will not be part of the peloton for the one-day race.

Also to miss the 150km elite men’s contest is Moise Mugisha, based in France, who won Rwamagana Circuit this month. Jean-Eric Habimana will miss the men’s junior category as the 18-year old continues his three-month training in Switzerland.

The women’s race will be a 90km distance, 12 laps of 7.5km each in Rubavu town, while junior male riders will do 15 laps. The elite men’s participants, a peloton of 11 clubs, will battle it out through a total of 20 laps.

Since the inaugural Kivu Race edition in 2015, only Joseph Areruya has won the elite men’s title (2015, 2016) more than once. Jean-Bosco Nsengimana claimed it in 2017 while Eric Manizabayo was last year’s winner.

This year’s Rwanda Cycling Cup started with the Northern Challenge, followed by Tour de Kigali and Rwamagana Circuit. Uwizeyimana, Nkurunziza and Mugisha – all absent this weekend – won the three races, respectively.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com