The inaugural Rwandan Epic mountain bike race, first of its kind in the country, will be held in Musanze District from November 21 to 23. The three-day race boasts a unique new course in one of the most cycling-crazed countries on the African continent. It provides an exciting opportunity, organisers say, for cycling enthusiasts across the world to join a competitive event before the end of the year. Rwandan Epic will be an open for all race, even for U-18 talents who aspire to take mountain biking to professional level. One of the organisers, Simon De Schutter, says that it is a race they plan to host in Rwanda on an annual basis and it will rotate in different parts of the country. “It’s the first race of its kind in Rwanda. It was initially supposed to last for four days, but we trimmed it to two because of the coronavirus pandemic,” said De Schutter. He added: “It will take place in Musanze this year, but we will take it to other places in the country in future editions.” According to De Schutter, the race will start with an urban prologue on the opening day before the following two stages head to the Volcanoes National Park area in Kinigi, home to the mighty Mountain Gorillas. The Rwandan Epic challenge will cover a total distance of 325km and an elevation gain of over 6,500 meters. Over 50 riders are expected to take part in the race. Sponsors of the race include Skol Brewery Ltd (SBL), national carrier RwandAir and Rwanda Convention Bureau.
