TodayWomen & Juniors - 9am (91km)Elite Men & U23 - 9am (175km) This year’s Rwanda Cycling Cup resumes on Saturday with the Muhazi Challenge, the second race in the month of September after the Central Challenge held a fortnight ago. Gasore Hategeka is the Muhazi Challenge defending champion. / Sam Ngendahimana Muhazi Challenge is the 8th race of the 2017 Rwanda Cycling Cup coming after, Memorial Lambert Byemayire, Farmers’ Circuit, Race to Remember, National Championships (Individual Time Trial and National Road Race), Race for Culture and the Central Challenge. Today’s race will be without the two-time Tour du Rwanda champion and Race for Culture winner Valens Ndayisenga, who is representing the country at the ongoing UCI Road World Championships in Bergen, Norway. The 23-year-old Ndayisenga will race in the Elite Men’s 265km in the road race on Sunday against the world’s best cyclists including Tour de France’s four-time reigning champion Chris Froome of Britain. Ndayisenga’s absence leaves Gasore Hategeka, winner of the Muhazi Challenge last year, as the favourite. Other riders expected to challenge Gasore include; Jean Claude Uwizeye, Patrick Biziyaremye, Jean Bosco Nsengimana and Bonaventure Uwizeyimana. Nsengimana won the first race of the season, the Memorial Lambert Byemayire; Uwizeye took the Farmers’ Circuit, Hategeka won the National Championship (Road race) while Uwizeyimana claimed the Race to Remember. Cycling Club for All’s Mathieu Twizerane, who stunned giants to win Central Challenge earlier this month, also can’t be ruled out of contention. No rider has won more than once in this year’s Rwanda Cycling Cup. Muhazi Challenge race has attracted riders from ten local cycling clubs namely; Fly Cycling Club, Cycling Club for All, Muhazi Cycling Generation, Cine Elmay, Les Amis Sportifs, Benediction Club, Rwanda Eagles Cycling Team, Karongi Vision Sports Center, Nyabihu Cycling Team and Kigali Cycling Club. The junior and women will do 91 kilometres, starting from Kirenge centre in Rulindo district and race a distance of 85 kilometres to Rwamagana district before doing one 6km lap around Rwamagana town. The Elite Men & U23 will cover a total of 175km from Musanze district through Kigali to Rwamagana district in a distance of 151km before doing 4 laps, of 6km each, in Rwamagana town. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
