Cycling was the most outstanding sport in 2015

The year 2015 can probably be named the most successful year for Rwandan Cycling Federation after Team Rwanda excelled in all competitions for the first time in the country’s history. Jean Bosco Nsengimana of Team Karisimbi won the Tour du Rwanda race after clocking 23h54’50’’ in 928 kilometres; he also won the inaugural Rwanda Cycling Cup, which had ten races. With Tour du Rwanda title staying in Rwanda for the second year running, following Valens Ndayisenga’s triumph in 2014, a Rwandan Hadi Janvier won a gold medal at the All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. Team Rwanda Cycling won two consecutive Tour du Rwanda titles for the first time since the annual competition became an International Cycling Union (UCI) 2.2 category race in 2009. Winning the 2015 Tour confirms the progress of the Rwandan riders, trained by Jonathan Boyer, 60, a former professional cyclist who, in 1981, became the first American to participate in the Tour de France. One year after registering the first triumph through Valens Ndayisenga, who became the first Rwandan rider to win the Tour du Rwanda since it was added on to the UCI calendar. Rwandans occupied the first four places in the general classification after final stage with Patrick Byukusenge (Karisimbi), Joseph Areruya (Akagera) and Ndayisenga (Karisimbi) following Nsengimana in that order. FERWACY has organised many competitions which raised the level of riders including 10 races of 2015 Rwanda Cycling Cup. The local cycling governing body made plans to take the sport to another level in a bid to attract young people throughout many local competitions, which resulted in the four historic qualifications for Olympic Games. Bonaventure Uwizeyimana impressed in 2015 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, where the Team Rwanda youngster came in first position in U23 and sixth overall. Last year, for the first time ever, women cyclist Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu competed in Continental Championships where she made break out performance and finished in 8th position, which got her an invite to the UCI WCC in Switzerland—she became the 1,000th trainee at the UCI WCC. At the World Championships, Nsengimana did a breakaway for 3 laps; Girubuntu became the first Rwandan and first black woman ever to race in the ITT, while Hadi won a stage in the Tour of Algeria. Rwanda finished third in the Tour of Cameroon, first in the Tour of Ivory Coast, while Team Rwanda came first in All Africa Game—Team Rwanda won bronze in the team time trial before Hadi claimed the road race gold medal. Last year, Team Rwanda Cycling ran 46 weeks of training camp and trained over 30 cyclists and ran a mechanic’s training, massage training and a junior’s camp with mechanic and coaches training. Towards the end of the last year, Nsengimana and Hadi signed for Germany-based professional Team Bike Aid, to follow in the footsteps of Adrien Niyonshuti. In 2008, Niyonshuti attended the Africa Continental Centre Training Camp in South Africa, where he was offered a contract by Douglas Ryder, the directeur sportif of UCI Continental Team MTN Energade. He started his first UCI European road race in August 2009 with his participation in the 2009 Tour of Ireland, becoming the first Rwandan cyclist to ride in the European professional peloton. Niyonshuti qualified to represent Rwanda in the cross-country mountain bike race during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. For the African Continental Mountain Bike Championships held in Musanze in May Nathan Byukusenge qualified for 2016 Olympic Games. Team Rwanda was the only African team in the Tour Rio (Brazil). These results made cycling the most successful sport in Rwanda in 2015. The federation has set itself a target of propelling the country to the top five on the continent. Rwanda is currently ranked in fifth position in Africa, behind Morocco, Algeria, South Africa and Eritrea. FERWACY has successfully organized different races, including Cycling Cup which has ten races and the fruits of that could be seen in improved results for the national teams and youth. The cycling federation has over the years worked closely with youth categories in promoting the sport, which has helped create and sustain a group of good riders who will soon become professionals. Africa Rising Center has already hosted several teams from Africa, such as Eritrea, Ethiopia and Gabon, and trained African trainers or coaches; Rwanda has all the assets to become a hub of cycling in Africa.

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Cycling was the most outstanding sport in 2015