Top three 1. Steele Von Hoff (Australia) – 3:57:01 2.  Jonathan Mould (Wales) – 3:5701 3. Clint Hendricks (South Africa) – 3:57:01

Team Rwanda 21.  Jean Claude Uwizeye – 3:57:58 23. Didier Munyaneza – 3:58:00 24. Bonaventure Uwizeyimana – 3:58:01 37. Joseph Areruya – 3:59:39

Team Rwanda’s Jean Claude Uwizeye put up an impressive performance to finish 21st in the elite men’s road race yesterday in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland – Australia.

Uwizeye, 24, was Rwanda’s best performer and Africa’s fifth best of the day in the 168km race that saw only 50 riders crossing the finish-line out of 116 entries.

Of the six riders that represented Rwanda, four completed the race while Valens Ndayisenga and youngster Jean Paul Rene Ukiniwabo failed to finish. This was an improvement to the 2014 edition in Glasgow, Scotland where no Rwandan managed to complete the road race.

Les Amis Sportif rider Uwizeye used 3 hours, 57 minutes 1 second in a fierce nine-man sprint finish that saw riders from 15th to 22nd position all recording the same time. Didier Munyaneza finished 23rd, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana (24th) while Joseph Areruya came in 37th spot.

The top three were Steele Von Hoff of Australia, Jonathan Mould from Wales and Clint Hendricks (South Africa).

In the women’s road race on Friday, Rwanda had two representatives Beatha Ingabire and Magnifique Manizabayo, but none of the two managed to finish the grueling 112km course.

Australian Chloe Hosking won gold, New Zealand’s Georgia Williams took silver while Danielle Rowe of Wales settled for bronze. 

Vera Adrian of Namibia was Africa’s best in the 15th place.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw