Team Rwanda standing coach Félix Sempoma has included Moise Mugisha and Joseph Areruya in his final six-man roster for the forthcoming La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 2023 race that will take place in Gabon from January 23-29.
Areruya, who previously won the race in 2018, will be looking to win it for the second time while Mugisha is targeting to add another continental silverware to the Tour du Cameroun in June 2022 and Grand Prix Chantal Biya that he won in November 2020.
The duo are joined in the roster by Eric Manizayabayo, who was arguably Mugisha’s main rivals in domestic races last year, Suayibu Kagibwami, Renus Byiza Uhiriwe and Patrick Byukusenge.
Rwanda Team is among 10 teams that were selected from 10 countries to take part at this year’s La Tropicale Amissa Bongo. Besides Rwanda, other countries that will be represented include Benin, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Eritrea, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Mauritius and Gabon.
For Rwandan athletes, the race will be a good opportunity to prepare for the much-anticipated 14th edition of Tour du Rwanda which will attract 20 teams from different parts of the globe.
The team is part of the 16-man roster that is on a training camp in Musanze since mid-December 2022, preparing both La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and Tour du Rwanda 2023 races.
The Tropicale Amissa Bongo will once again bring together in Gabon the champions who are used to gracing world’s major cycling events and African riders to showcase the continent's talents.