Stages of Tour de Limpopo 2019 May, 15: Bela Bela – Polokwane, 172km May, 16: Polokwane – Tzaneen, 96km May, 17: Tzaneen – Modjajieskloof – Tarantaal – Coachmans, 101km May, 18: Tzaneen – Polokwane, 116km Benediction Excel Energy is ready for this year’s Tour de Limpopo in South Africa which will be flagged off May 15 through May 18, at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. According to club vice president Benoit Munyankindi, the team is ready for the competition which will have four stages. Twenty teams are expected to take part. “We are looking to get good results at the tournament. The cyclists have started the preparations early and believe they will be ready for the competition,” Munyankindi said. Each team will be having a six-man roster and three-member support crew. Benediction Excel Energy Continental Team boasts experienced riders like Bonaventure Uwizeyimana and Jean Bosco Nsengimana. Other riders include Eric Manizabayo, Didier Munyaneza, Yves Nkurunziza and Jean Claude Nzafashwanayo. The team was expected to jet off to South Africa aboard a RwandAir flight on Monday. They were due to hold a meeting on Tuesday on the eve of the opening action. “We will face strong teams in the competition and that we have to prepare well our riders well. We have young riders and believe they will do well,” added Munyankindi. The opening stage will cover 172km with 4x sprint hotspots, one KOM hotspot and finish sprint time bonus, while Stage 2 (96km) will run from Polokwane to Tzaneen with one sprint hotspot and two KOM hotspots. The third stage, due May 17, will start from Tzaneen to Mt. Agatha (Coachman’s Climb) and will feature a steep climb and double points for KOM. The fourth, and final, stage will get underway the following day from Tzaneen to Polokwane covering 116km of distance with the finish line at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
