THE PRESTIGIOUS Tour du Rwanda, a cycling event established in 1988 in Rwanda has put the East African country on the world sports map.

The event is generally a cycling stage race that is organised by the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) and it attracts cyclists, media personnel as well as fans all over the world.

The competition has been part of the UCI Africa Tour since 2009 and it is among the best organised international cycling competitions on the continent.

Until 2008 when the event attained international status, Tour du Rwanda was just a regional cycling race that brought together Rwandans but also riders from neighboring countries namely Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and DR Congo.

The 14th event of the annual competition is slated to take place in the land of thousand hills from February 20 to 27th with a total of 16 teams already confirming their participation and they include fourteen clubs and four national teams.

This year’s competition will have a highly exotic touch with the likes of Israel Start-Up Nation (Israel),Total-Direct Energie (France), B&B Hotels (France), Team Novo Nordisk (USA), Androni-Giocattoli (Italy), Burgos-BH (Spain), Pro Touch Team (South Africa), Bike Aid (Germany),TSG Terengganu (Malaysia), Team Coop (Norway), Wildlife Generation Pro (USA), Team SKS Sauerland NRW (Germany), and Tarteletto-Isorex (Belgium)all scheduled to partake in the event whereas the national teams also has Algeria Morocco as well as Great Britain.

The event certainly promises lots of action as Spanish rider Cristián Rodríguez Martin who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Team TotalEnergies and won the competition last year will be hoping to defend the title.

Certainly, in form rider Renus Uhiriwe would be one of the cyclists people should watch out for as he hit excellent form for Qhubeka in South Africa getting to the end of last year. There is also Eric Muhoza who finished 23rd last year and would be hoping to improve upon it this year.

Tour du Rwanda is a full package and unlike other cycling events where only the grand winners are awarded, those who top at every stage are given a prize money and other souvenirs.

Last year, the event could not draw the needed fans’ excitement and euphoria as there were restrictions for people not to troop to the roadside to watch the cyclists because of the spike in the virus.

Things have changed now with more than half of the people in the country already vaccinated and this is good news for the competition as the fans add colour to the event.

With a maximum of two weeks to the start of the biggest cycling competition on the African continent, the passion of Rwandans for cycling has already been ignited and the Tour du Rwanda 2022 is the most talked about sporting event now.

Whatever the case, and whoever wins it, the name of Rwanda in cycling would continue to soar high because of the Tour du Rwanda annual event.