The four-man national cycling team departed yesterday for the third edition of the African Continental Championship slated for Yaoundé, Cameroon from November 8-11.

The team which includes cyclists-Andre Niyonshuti, Abraham Ruhumuriza, Nathan Byukusenge and coach Jonathan Boyer departed aboard a Kenyan Airplane yesterday afternoon ahead of the championship which gets underway on tomorrow.

The Rwanda Cycling Union president, Charles Kamanda told Times Sport yesterday that the national body is not eyeing this championship as a way of qualifying for next year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

"We are planning to apply for a wildcard from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to take part in the Mountain Bike event during the 2008 Olympic Games.

"We have higher chances of excelling in the Mountain bike than the road races, so that’s why we want to try and see if we could be given the chance,” Kamanda said.

Kamanda further added that their major objective for taking part in the championship is to do well and possibly qualify for the 2008 World Cup due in Italy.

Rwanda’s chances of qualifying for the Beijing Games evaporated after finishing 12th out of 16 African nations which took part in the UCI B World Championship event held in Cape Town from June 26- July 1.

Fifteen countries have confirmed their participation, Cameroon, South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Angola, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Malawi, Senegal, Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe.

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