Preparations for the 2018 Rallye de Mille Collines are in high gear after the organisers, Unity Rally Team, announced dates for the motorsport event.

According to a statement released on Monday, the 35th edition of the annual competition is set for Saturday, December 1, in Bugesera District.

It will cover a total distance of 143.02 kilometres in the dusty roads of Gako, Gasenyi and Nemba – all in Bugesera District, Eastern Province.

Rallye de Mille Collines is the last event on the local motorsport calendar.

Going into the final race of the season, defending champion Din Imtiaza tops the leaderboard with 64 points, 13 ahead of second-placed Jean Jean Giesen. Third-placed Eric Gakwaya is 14 points off the summit.

Burundian driver Imtiaza, together with his navigator Yannic Dewalque, in their Toyota Celica, won last year’s Rallye de Mille Collines after covering the race’s 168.22km in 1 hour, 39 minutes and 13 seconds.

Jean Claude Gakwaya, navigated by Eric Gakwaya, was crowned the 2017 national champion despite not competing in the final event of the season.

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