Niyonshuti set to become pro in Europe

After successfully defending his Tour of Kigali title last week, Rwanda’s top cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti praised the level of competitiveness of the country’s upcoming riders and tipped them for a bright future.The South African based rider is confident that the future looks bright because, “there are a lot of very good young riders, who are making good progress.”Niyonshuti will make history next year when he becomes the first ever Rwandan professional in the European peloton as Team MTN-Qhubeka prepares to register as a UCI Pro Continental team.Speaking to Times Sport after retaining the National Road Championship for the third year in a row on Sunday, Niyonshuti praised his colleagues for pushing him all the way, saying, “It shows the sport is growing.”“I feel really good to be part of this team (MTN-Qhubeka). Yes, I will be the first Rwandan professional to race in Europe and this is really a dream come true. The big picture is to make the Tour de France line up in a few years time and things are falling into place,” Niyonshuti said.He has mostly been focused on mountain biking and represented his country at the 2012 London Olympics but will turn his full attention to the road next year.The 25-year old said, “I am happy for the young riders. I was impressed, particularly with those that took part in the Tour of Kigali. They’re very competitive and I must admit I had to fight really hard to win the competition.” “When I first competed in the Tour of Kigali, I did not finish, but to see such a big number of youngsters competing with already established riders from start to finish is an indication that the future of Rwandan cycling looks bright. “We have some really very good riders, who I believe will make it to the top,” added the Team MTN-Qhubeka rider.Niyonshuti completed the 160km race in a time of 3:44:31:07. The 2009 winner, Nathan Byukusenge, came second after riding the distance in 3: 44: 31:94, while rookie Valens Ndayisenge came in third position after clocking 3:47:19: 80.

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Niyonshuti set to become pro in Europe