The Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) will introduce the first of its kind mountain bike Cross-country Olympic (XCO) tournament with the first edition set to take place in Musanze on Sunday, March 30. Dubbed ‘Virunga XCO Mountain Bike Series,’ the new competition is part of the federation’s efforts to promote maintain bike competitions in Rwanda. The first edition was organized in partnership with and Africa Rising Cycling Center (ARCC) and Twin Lakes Academy and it will be open to both professional players non-professionals. Ruben Habarurema, the manager of Africa Rising Cycling Centre – a Musanze-based training hub for local and international riders, told Times Sport that the new tournament is a big step for Rwanda’s mountain biking scene. “We’re creating a dedicated platform to develop talent and eventually produce Olympians in this discipline. It’s exciting to see youth who have been training solely in MTB now get a chance to compete. This is just the beginning — our vision is to grow the series into a major regional event,” Habarurema said. “At the moment, we don’t have official sponsors, but we do have strong partners supporting us — including Shift Up for Rwanda and Twin Lakes Cycling Academy. We’re in early conversations with potential sponsors like Virunga Beer, who might support with refreshments for now. As the series grows, we’re aiming to bring in more sponsors to elevate the experience for riders and fans alike.” he added So far, he said, several individual riders and a few local teams have registered, including youth athletes training at Africa Rising Cycling Center. This edition is intentionally small as they focus on quality and building a strong foundation, but organisers are confident that they will get interest from other regionsas long as the long-term goal of the competition is to expand participation both nationally and internationally. Following this first race, the organizers aim to build a permanent, world-class XCO MTB course in Musanze. The course will serve as a training and competition ground year-round, supporting youth development and attracting regional and international races. The design will follow UCI standards, with technical features such as rock gardens, berms, short steep climbs, and descents — ideal for preparing athletes for top-level competitions.
