Tour du Rwanda routesPrologue Stage, Nov. 13: Amahoro Stadium-Amahoro Stadium (3.3km)Stage 1 – Nov.14: Kigali-Ngoma (96.4km)Stage 2 – Nov. 15: Kigali Convention Center-Karongi (124.7km)Stage 3 –Nov. 16: Karongi-Rusizi (115.9km)Stage 4 –Nov. 17 Rusizi-Huye (140.7km)Stage 5 – Nov. 18 Muhanga-Musanze (125.8km)Stage 6 – Nov. 19 Musanze-Kigali Regional Stadium (103.9km)Stage 7 – Nov. 20 Kigali Amahoro Stadium-Kigali Amahoro Stadium (108.0km)

Finally the wait is over; the 2016 Tour du Rwanda starts tomorrow with a 3.3km prologue race around Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali before the riders embark on Stage One, which will take them to Ngoma District in Eastern Province, on Monday, covering a distance of 96.4km.

The UCI-Africa Tour 2.2 road race (911.6km), that will attract 12 foreign and three local teams, is expected to bring more excitement and competition, especially with three teams making their debut in the annual race. They include; Lowest rate.com (Canada), Kenya’s Riders Down-under (Kenya) and Cycling Academy Team of Israel.

Rwandan clubs Les Amis Sportif de Rwamagana and Benediction Club of Rubavu are also making their first appearance in the annual race, the biggest annual sporting event in the country.

Unlike previously, the international cycling event will reach southwestern parts of the country following the addition of two new routes; Kivu Belt and Nyungwe Challenge. Kivu Belt, that covers a distance of 115.6km from Karongi town to Rusizi in the Western Province, will be stage number three, on November 16, while Nyungwe Challenge, a 140.7km distance (the longest route), from Rusizi through the tropical rainforests of Nyungwe to Huye town, will be stage number four, on November 17.

With that in mind, the most intriguing question is whether a Rwandan rider can clinch this year’s title and effectively keep the trophy on home soil for the third year in a row? Since 2009 when Tour du Rwanda became part of the UCI Africa Tour, it began gaining popularity by each passing edition. In 2014, Valens Ndayisenga became the first Rwandan to win the race before he was dethroned by his compatriot Jean Bosco Nsengimana in 2015.

But this time round the two men, while they will participate in this year’s edition and are among the top contenders, will not be representing Rwanda.

Instead, they will be riding for their respective foreign clubs, against their former teammates and compatriots. Ndayisenga will ride for South Africa-based UCI Continental Team Dimension Data For Qhubeka, while reigning champion Nsengimana will lead the line for Germany-based Bike Aid.

Rwanda’s chances to retain the title lay mostly on the shoulders of none other than Les Amis Sportif de Rwamagana’s Joseph Areruya. The 20-year old star finished second in last year’s 938.5km edition clocking a total of 23 hours 56 minutes and 35 seconds, behind champion Nsengimana, who won the eight-stage race in a time of 23 hours 54 minutes and 50 seconds. Speaking to Saturday Sport in an exclusive interview ahead of the event, the Kayonza-born cyclist said he was ready to fight for this year’s yellow jersey.

"I am looking forward to the start of Tour du Rwanda on Sunday, I want to give all that I have and I believe I can win it, every year the competition gets more competitive with top teams around the world participating but the coach (Sterling Magnell) has built my confidence and I can’t wait to start the race,” he said.

This season, Areruya has competed and impressed in five international competitions, namely; Algeria’s Circuit de Constantine (winner), Tour de Bilda (second), GP de la Ville d’Oran (second), Tour International de Sétif (sixth), and Circuit d’Alger (sixth).

Two-weeks ago, he sent an early warning during the final preparations for Tour du Rwanda, winning Nyungwe Challenge, before finishing second in Kivu Belt race behind Nsengimana.

The two competitions were organised by the local cycling governing body, FERWACY, aimed at giving local cyclists experience on the two routes that have recently been added on to this year’s Tour du Rwanda.

Areruya added: "I hope I will kick off perfectly and probably get the yellow jersey and try to defend it throughout the competition, as Bosco (Nsengimana) did last year. I am confident that, with the support of my colleagues, I can win the competition, and enter the record books. That is my main target.”

Other big names from local teams primed for stardom this year include; Team Rwanda’s Gasore Hategeka, the winner of stage 3 of 2016 Tour de Côte d’Ivoire; the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Mountain bike flag bearer Nathan Byukusenge; 5-time Tour du Rwanda winner Abraham Ruhumuriza (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007) and 2014 stage 5 winner Joseph Biziyaremye.

Tour du Rwanda was created in 1988 after the merger of several cycling competitions, namely; Tour de Kigali, Tour de l’Est (Kigali-Rwamagana), Ascension des Milles Collines (Kigali-Butare-Akanyaru) and Tour des Volcans (Cyanika-Ruhengeri-Gisenyi), which attracted only local cyclists.

Célestin N’Dengeyingoma was the first winner of Tour du Rwanda in 1988. From 1991 up to 2000, the race did not take place and resumed in 2001 and has been taking place annually since then.

In 2009, it was incorporated into the UCI Africa Tour calendar and, since then, a total of 330 riders, representing 37 countries and five continents, have participated in the annual event.

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