Rwandan rider Xaverine Nirere has increased her chances of winning Pupkewitz Megabuild Windhoek Women Tour in Namibia after winning stage three on Saturday. Nirere, who plays club cycling for Amani Team, won the third stage on Saturday, August 2, and immediately took the yellow jersey of the overall leader, opening a nine-minute gap between her and her competitors. Saturday’s third stage saw riders compete on the Kupferberg Roads over a distance of 75.8 kilometers. With the race nearing its end, Nirere held off her teammates by 10 minutes and 35 seconds and overcame stiff competition from three other riders to claim the stage, beating Ethiopian Asgodom Hadush Merhawit, also playing for Team Amani, by nine minutes and 49 seconds. Nirere won also Best Sprinter, with 28 points, five points ahead of De Marigny-Lagesse Lucie from Mauritius. The closest rider for Team Rwanda in the overall standings is Valentine Nzayisenga who sit 13 minutes and two seconds behind Nirere. Stage four will be held at Matchless on August 3. It will include the Road Race of 67.7 km, 22.5km Sprint (straight section before Daan Viljoen), 51.5km (Rehoboth bridge), Finish Line (Grove) and Daan Viljoen turnaround of 28km. The Pupkewitz Megabuild Windhoek Women Tour features riders from Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Rwanda. The teams eligible to participate include UCI Women’s Pro Teams, UCI Women ‘s Continental Teams, UCI Cyclo-Cross, Professional Teams, National Teams, Regional and Club Teams, as well as Mixed Teams.
