Former Tour du Rwanda winner Samuel Mugisha will be Rwanda’s sole representative at the 2020 Road World Championships slated for later this month in Italy.

Rwanda Cycling Federation (Ferwacy) confirmed the development via its Twitter handle on Thursday. It will be the rider’s third appearance in the world’s biggest cycling event.

"Tour du Rwanda 2018 winner Mugisha will represent Rwanda at the UCI Road World Championship which will take place between 24 and 27 September 2020 in Imola, Italy,” tweeted Ferwacy.

Mugisha, 22, will be one of the only four African riders in the competition along with Morocco’s Zahri Abderrahim and South African duo of Nicolas Dlamini and Louis Meintjes.

Currently based in France, where he rides for French side LMP – La Roche-sur-Yon, Mugisha made his world championships debut in 2017 before returning to the world stage the following year.

At least six riders were initially due to compete at the world championships – and had started training – but plans were hampered by visa restrictions in the European Schengen Area due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regarded as one of the most elite riders in the country, Mugisha is the record holder for the youngest Tour du Rwanda winner, which he attained in August 2018, aged 20 years and 250 days.

He previously featured for local outfit Benediction Club and South Africa’s Italy-based side NTT Pro Cycling – formerly Dimension Data for Qhubeka.