SAMUEL Mugisha, winner of the 2018 Tour du Rwanda, will lead Team Rwanda at this year’s Tour de Vendée.

The one-day race is due October 6 in France.

Mugisha, 21, will lead a five-man Team Rwanda roster that also comprises Jean-Claude Uwizeye, who plies his trade with French side Sables Vendée, Moïse Mugisha of Skol Fly Cycling Club, Jean-Claude Nzafashwanayo, Eric Manizabayo, and Didier Munyaneza.

Ndafashwanayo, winner of the 2019 Tour de la RD Congo, Manizabayo, and Munyaneza who won Rubavu Circuit last weekend, all ride for Benediction Excel Energy.

The 48th edition of Tour de Vendée, a 1.1 UCI category race, will have a peloton of 18 teams, including Team Rwanda who will be making their debut.

After the world championships in Yorkshire, England, which come to a climax today, Samuel Mugisha and Moise Mugisha will cross to France to start training for the race, while the Benediction Excel Energy trio flies to France on October 1.

Meanwhile, Moise Mugisha finished in the 103rd position in men’s U23 road race at the Yorkshire World Championships, followed by compatriot and Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s rider Samuel Mugisha.

Tour de Vendée 2019 will be a gruesome 200km ride in Challans-Roche-sur-Yon in Northern France. Rwanda will be the sole national team in the peloton.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com