Cycling team eyes gold at All Africa Games

The national cycling team will be seeking to scoop top honours at the upcoming All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville from September 4-19. Coach Felix Sempoma, who will be in charge of the national side, spoke of his side’s intention to finish top of the continental competition that will include individual time trial, team time trial and road race events for both the men and women’s categories. “Our main objective is to return home with medals. Our riders have been performing well lately and are on form right now. Some have been training abroad with Valens Ndayisenga training in Switzerland. The home-based riders are also training hard and we are going to the All Africa Games to win,” said the confident Sempoma. The eight-man men’s elite team boasts massive experience including the reigning Tour du Rwanda winner Ndayisenga, who is currently training at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland. Sprint master Janvier Hadi who is captain of the national side will compete in the men’s individual time trial as well as Ndayisenga. Ndayisenga, a three-time men’s individual time trial national champion, will be looking to replicate his form at the continental level having won silver at the Africa continental cycling championships in the U-23 category in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in February. Hadi, a bronze medallist in the same category in 2013, will be guiding upcoming youngsters like Joseph Aleluya, Jean Claude Uwizeye and Camera Hakuzimana. Reigning national road race champion Joseph Biziyaremye and Jean Bosco Nsengimana, who finished second at last year’s Tour du Rwanda, will also provide a boost to the national side seeking to make a name on the continent. Rwanda will be represented at the All Africa Games in sports disciplines like athletics, taekwondo and volleyball among others. Men elite team: Janvier Hadi (captain), Valens Ndayisenga, Joseph Biziyaremye, Jean Bosco Nsengimana, Joseph Aleluya, Jean Claude Uwizeye, Jeremie Karegeya, Camera Hakuzimana

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Cycling team eyes gold at All Africa Games