The 2018 Tour du Rwanda stages
August 5 Stage 1: Rwamagana – Rwamagana (104km) August 6 Stage 2: Kigali – Huye (120.3km) August 7 Stage 3: Huye – Musanze (195.3km) August 8 Stage 4: Musanze – Karongi (135.8km) August 9 Stage 5: Karongi – Rubavu (95.1km) August 10 Stage 6: Rubavu – Kinigi (Volcanoes National Park) 108.5km August 11 Stage 7: Musanze – Kigali (107.4km) August 12 Stage 8: Kigali – Kigali (82.2km)
Dubbed the King of the Mountains, Rwanda’s cycling prodigy Samuel Mugisha has come out early to declare that this year he will rather be going for the top prize as he leads Team Rwanda into this year’s Tour du Rwanda.
The 20-year old made the remarks on Friday in an exclusive interview with Saturday Sport following his arrival from Italy where he has been training with his UCI continental team, Dimension Data for Qhubeka that will not be participating in this year’s 10th edition that will get underway on August 5 and run until August 12th.
Mugisha’s comments come two days after the national team head coach Sterling Magnell named an all U-23 team to carry the country’s flag at the eight-day event which Mugisha will lead along with national champion Didier Munyaneza.
The duo will race along with 21-year old Samuel Hakiruwizeye, 20-year old Jean Damascene Ruberwa, and Innocent Ruberwa, 20, who is the sole Tour du Rwanda debutant on the team.
"I am not targeting the King of the Mountains title this time round, not at all, I want the yellow jersey and I believe this is the right time to rise to the occasion and win the top prize. I know how tough it is, but, I am not going to throw in the towel,” he vowed.
The former Club Benediction rider heads into this year’s edition just three weeks after scooping the King of the Mountains jersey at the 55th Giro Della Valle d’Aosta race in Italy.
While making his Tour du Rwanda debut in 2016, the then 18-year old Mugisha defied odds emerging as the best climber of the seven-stage 2.2 UCI Africa Tour race.
He beat off stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Hailay Kibrom Giday to the title while compatriot Patrick Byukusenge was the second runner-up.
After his impressive performance, the youngster was courted by South African side Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, whom he signed for two months later – along with Joseph Areruya, who currently rides for France’s Delko Marseille Provence KTM.
Meanwhile, Valens Ndayisenga – two-time Tour du Rwanda winner – and Jean Claude Uwizeye have also arrived in the country from France.
The duo will race for their club Pays Olonne Cycliste Côte de Lumière (POCCL), one of the six teams that will make their debut appearance at this year’s Tour du Rwanda.
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