Cycling team set for Chantal Biya, UCI-World Championships

Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) will send the national cycling team to compete in this year’s Grand Prix Chantal Biya and UCI-World Championships. Both races will take place next month.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Beatha Ingabire will compete in the Elite Women's Road Race at the UCI-World Championships in Doha. (Faustin Niyigena)

RwandaCycling Federation (FERWACY) will send the national cycling team to compete in this year’s Grand Prix Chantal Biya and UCI-World Championships. Both races will take place next month.

The local riders will be using the two competitions to prepare for the 2016 Tour du Rwanda, scheduled for November 13-20.  The World Championships Road Race will be staged from October 9-16 in Doha Qatar.

The event consists of a road race, a team time trial and a time trial for elite men and women,  a road race and a time trial for men under-23, junior men and junior women. It will be the 89th Road World Championships and the first time that Qatar and the Middle East will host the championships.

Rwanda will be represented by Joseph Areruya, Valens Ndayisenga and Jean Claude Uwizeye in the U23 category (Road Race) while Ndayisenga will also compete in the Individual Time Trial (ITT).

Bonaveture Uwizeyimana will race in the Elite Men’s Road Race while Beatha Ingabire will race in the Elite Women’s Road Race and for the first time, Rwanda will send a junior cyclist, Rene Ukiniriwabo, who will compete in both the Road Race and ITT.

Team Rwanda Cycling Technical Director, Jock Boyer and mechanic Jamie Bissell, will be in charge of the team while FERWACY president Aimable Bayingana will be the head of delegation.

Boyer said, "This World Championships will be incredibly challenging for our riders because it is completely flat, hot and very windy. I look forward to the opportunity for our riders to gain valuable experience.”

In the same week, Team Rwanda will also have riders in the Grand Prix Chantal Biya in Cameroon, which will run from October 13 to 16.

The team will comprise of Nathan Byukusenge (captain), Ephrem Tuyishimire, Samuel Mugisha, Jeremy Karegeya and Bike Aid rider, Jean Bosco Nsengimana. This team will be accompanied by Coach Felix Sempoma, Obed Ruvogera and Issa Ntibitura.

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