Niyonshuti jets in ahead of Tour of Kigali

RWANDA top cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti jetted in the country on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming Kigali Tour which is slated for October 21.Niyonshuti is the defending champion and his participation is crucial that it influenced Rwanda Cycling Federation to postpone the competition from October 14, the original date.On October 13, Niyonshuti, who rides for South African professional MTN Qhubeka Team, had another competition in South Africa dubbed ‘Amashova Durba Classic’ where he finished fifth.According to Rwanda Cycling Federation media officer, Egide Mugisha, Niyonshuti will remain in the country after the Tour of Kigali for the national team preparations ahead of the African championships which will be held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from November 6 -11.Local team that have entered for the Tour of Kigali include; Cine Elmay, Bénédiction Club, Rapide Bicycles Club, Les Amis Sportifs, Satellite Club, Kiramuruzi Cycling Club, Cycling Club For All, Fly Cycling Club and Abahizi. Last year, above 60 riders too part in the race, which Niyonshuti won and also pocketed Rwf0.3m, while first and second runners-up settled for Rwf0.25m and Rwf0.2m respectively.However, two Team Rwanda members Janvier Hadi and Joseph Biziyaremye will not take part in this year’s event as they are still undergoing training in South Africa, at Centre Mondiale of Cycling until October 28.In the meantime, this year’s Tour of Rwanda is planned for November 18, and a total of 15 teams will compete for the top prize. Rwanda will be represented by Akagera and Kalisimbi teams, with both sides fielding 12 riders. There will also be African national teams, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Gabon.Foreign teams include: Team Quebecor Garneau (Canada), Team Reine Blanche Rhone Alpes (France), Equipe Regionale de la Reunion (France), Team AVIA Flanders (Belgique), SANOFI Team Type 1 (USA), Team MTN Quebeka (South Africa). The eight-day event will cover a total distance of 876 kilometres which will be divided in eight stages.

Sports

Niyonshuti jets in ahead of Tour of Kigali