Rwanda cycling team eye Championship glory

After dominating the All Africa Games, Team Rwanda Cycling is embarking on yet another journey to make a mark at the upcoming World Cycling Championships scheduled for September 19-27 in Richmond, Virginia in the USA. The 2014 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo stage four winner, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, reigning Tour du Rwanda champion, Valens Ndayisenga and last year’s Tour du Rwanda runner up Jean Bosco Nsengimana will compete in the U-23 category for a second year in a row following their debut at last year’s edition in Ponferrada, Spain. Uwizeyimana is currently training in Wyoming in the USA and recently finished ninth in the last stage, a Criterium at the Steamboat Springs in Colorado and expects to make an impressive performance at the world stage. Olympian Adrien Niyonshuti will be competing in the men’s elite category while Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu is set to write history as the first Rwandan female rider ever to compete at the international stage. “We want to put on a good performance at the World Championships. We cannot say that we want to win a medal but we want to get experience from this level because we shall be competing against the best riders in the world,” said the president of Rwanda Cycling Federation, Aimable Bayingana. Ndayisenga and Nsengimana are fresh from Congo Brazzaville where they bagged bronze in the men’s time trial last Thursday, which was the first medal for Rwanda at the continental multisport showpiece that ends on September 19 and are hoping to gain more experience. Ndayisenga, who has been training at the World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland, is looking forward to the competition. “We are very glad to be representing Rwanda at the World Championships and we shall do our best to make our country proud,” said Ndayisenga. Rwanda recently competed at the Tour of Rio in Brazil with Patrick Byukusenge finishing 20th on the general classification but Nsengimana’s experience will come in handy in Richmond. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Sports

Rwanda cycling team eye Championship glory