Kigali has been given rights to host the next two editions of African Cycling Excellence Awards (ACEA). The development was confirmed by Freddy Kamuzinzi, the Managing Director of Kamz Events Group which has been mandated by the Confederation of African Cycling to organize the awards for the next four years. The first awarding event will take place at Zaria Court from November 28-29, with Africa’s finest cyclists vying for the honours in various categories. Kamuzinzi said that the idea to bring the awards to the Rwandan capital was inspired by its recent success in hosting the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in September. It was the first time the world’s most prestigious cycling event was held on African soil since its inception in 1921. “We are thrilled to share that the first two editions — 2025 and 2026 — will be hosted in Rwanda, a nation that continues to lead by example in promoting cycling as a sport, a lifestyle, and a vehicle for social impact,” Kamuzinzi told journalists during a media briefing in Kigali on Wednesday, November 12. ALSO READ: Kigali to host the 2025 African Cycling Awards He said the awards are here to stay as CAC commits to recognizing African cycling excellence across different categories from amateurs to professional cyclists. “There used to be another awarding ceremony; however, it was stopped, and it wasn’t affiliated with the CAC. Today, this is not only for Rwanda but for all of Africa,” he said. Who will be awarded? Public voting for ACEA 2025 was open from October 31 to November 8, where thousands of cycling enthusiasts and athletes across Africa cast their votes to recognize the best in the sport. The awards categories include best African male cyclist and African female, Best African Amateur and Best African Cycling Team. Rwanda will present additional special honors to celebrate regional excellence, including awards for Best Rwandan male elite cyclist, best Rwandan female elite cyclist and the honorary male and female cyclists from East African Community. Explaining the addition of special awards for Rwandan cyclists, Kamuzinzi said that other countries which will host future ACEA editions will also have the opportunity to recognize their local riders. For this first edition, the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) is responsible for selecting the best Rwandan cyclists. The federation has until November 16 to have identified the winners. ALSO READ: Kagame lauds successful UCI championships in Kigali For the Best Amateur category, he said, it was introduced because many African riders do not have contracts with professional teams, and a large number of them compete independently. Who votes? Kamuzinzi, who also serves as the Director General of Tour du Rwanda, explained that the voting process is based on races shortlisted on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar. The voters include cycling enthusiasts, sports journalists, as well as federation representatives. ALSO READ: How Rwanda turned the UCI World Championships into a festival of joy The 2025 edition will award cyclists based on their performance from October 2024 until the end of the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali. So far, the winners in each category are already known, although they have not yet been announced, he said.
