Defining moment for Ndayisenga as 2014 Tour du Rwanda climaxes

• 20 year old Ndayisenga on the verge of making history by being first Rwandan to win Tour du Rwanda• Ndayisenga has a 53 seconds lead in General rankings• Team Rwanda Karisimbi’s Jean-Bosco Nsengimana is second while Joseph Biziyaremye is fourth• Team Rwanda Karisimbi leads in the team category rankings • Ndayisenga will get $1800 (Rwf1.2m) for winning the Tour du Rwanda plus other cash prizes A nation prays and waits anxiously. For five years foreigners have dominated the country’s premier cycling competition, which is also one of the best on the continent. But all that is about to change. Not since a young Adrien Niyonshuti turned a professional cyclist in 2009 has a name reverberated across the country. 20 year old Valens Ndayisenga who has tightly held on to the coveted yellow jersey in the last four stages starts today’s last stage of the 2014 Tour du Rwanda on the verge of greatness. Ndayisenga finished in 4th place in yesterday’s 125km stage 6 race from Huye to Kigali, a route characterized by mainly flat roads. Eritrea’s Meskseb Debesay, who won the same stage, last year reigned again yesterday. However the Eritrean is not a big threat to Ndayisenga as he is in 22nd position, seven minutes and 41 seconds behind the Team Rwanda Karisimbi rider in the General rankings. Team Rwanda Cycling Coach Jonathan Boyer said there is pressure on the young shoulders of Ndayisenga as he bids to retain the yellow jersey in today’s 108km last stage. “We feel huge pressure because we want to win the tour for the first time, we have been doing well during this race and we promised to give something good to Rwandans” This year’s edition has been one of the competitive and tense races in the history of Tour du Rwanda. “The biggest gift we want to give this country and the many cycling fans is to win the event but anything like accidents or punctures can happen so we have to wait for the last minute,” the former Tour de France rider said. *** General classification1. Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda) 22h13’16’2. Jean Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda) 22h14’09’3. Arone Deprestion (Eritrea, As. Be. Co Cycling Team) 22h14’43’’4. Joseph Biziyaremye (Rwanda) 22h14’57’’5. Patrick Byukusenge (Rwanda) 22h15’11’ Huye-Kigali (127,4km)1. Mekseb Debesay (Bike Aid - Ride For Help, Eritrea) 3h14’06’’2. Dawid Haile (Eritrea) 3h14’08’’3. Jean Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda) 3h14’08’’4. Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda) 3h14’11’’5. Mraouni Salaeddine (Morocco) 3h14’17’’Top Young riders classification 1. Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda) 22h13’16’’2. Jean-Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda) 22h14’09’’ 53’’ 3. Debretsion Aron (Eritrea) 22h14’43’’ 01’27’’ 4. Mraouni Salaeddine (Morocco) 22h15’21’’ 02’05’’5. Buru Temesgen (Ethiopia) 22h15’28’’ 02’12’’ Teams’ general classification1. Rwanda (Karisimbi) 66h41’55’’2. Eritrea 66h 45’ 07’’3. AS. BE. CO Cycling Team (Eritrea) 66h 45’ 17’’4. Rwanda (Akagera) 66h 47’ 48’’5. Ethiopia 66h 52’ 41’’

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Defining moment for Ndayisenga as 2014 Tour du Rwanda climaxes