Ndayisenga set for Team Dimension Data debut

Rwanda international cyclist Valens Ndayisenga is set to make his debut for continental Team Dimension Data when he competes in the 50th Tour de Bretagne slated for April 25 to May 1 in France.

Sunday, April 24, 2016
L-R; Adrien Niyonshuti, Ndayisenga and Uwizeyimana are teammates at Team Dimension Data. (Courtesy)

Route

Stage 1 (April 25): Quiberon – Landevant 158.7kmStage 2 (April 26): Belz – Louisfert 204.1kmStage 3 (April 27): Louisfert – Janze 148kmStage 4 (April 28): Plancoet – Lannion 163.5kmStage 5 (April 29): Plestin-les-Greves – Trefflean 192.7kmStage 6 (April 30): Fouesnant – Fouesnant 156.4kmStage 7 (May 1): Le Hingle – Dinan 149.9km

Rwanda international cyclist Valens Ndayisenga is set to make his debut for continental Team Dimension Data when he competes in the 50th Tour de Bretagne slated for April 25 to May 1 in France.

The 2014 Tour du Rwanda champion joined the South African professional cycling team in January alongside compatriot Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, but the duo haven’t featured for the team due to lack of required paperwork because the team is based in Italy.

Tour de Bretagne 2016, a week-long men's elite race is comprised of 7 stages summing up to a total distance of 1173.3km across different parts of France. The annual competition is in 2.2 UCI category and is part of UCI Europe Tour.

The duo of Ndayisenga and Uwizeyimana left the country for Italy early this week after months of training at the Musanze-based Africa Rising Cycling Centre while waiting to secure the necessary papers.

Ndayisenga, 21, joins Africa’s leading professional cycling team after winning a gold medal for the country at this year's Africa Continental Road Championship in Morocco in individual time trial of the Men's U23 category.

Belgian Sébastien Delfosse is the reigning champion (2015 winner) of the annual race. Tour de Bretagne Cycliste (formerly Ruban Granitier Breton) is an annual early season professional cycling race held in Brittany, France.

It often acts as a platform for upcoming riders in the under 23 category who race together with Elite riders. The race was renamed Tour de Bretagne in 2005 when the race was also upgraded to became a professional race.

Team Dimension Data six-man roster set for the French race includes; Ndayisenga (Rwanda), Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (Eritrea) and four South Africans namely Julius Jayde, Ryan Gibbons, Salie Shameeg and Stefan De Bod.

Ndayisenga, a product of Rwamagana-based Adrien Niyonshuti Cycling Academy (ANCA), rose to stardom in 2012 before winning the 2014 Tour du Rwanda, becoming the first Rwandan to win the competition since turning international in 2009.

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