Rwanda is set to host the first ever Mountain bike race from November 4-7, 2021, and will consist of one prologue, and three stages that will tackle the best trails, and best views that the country has to offer. The race was initially supposed to take place in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for the organization to host anything more than a shorter test-event. The event will be open for male, female or mixed teams, amateurs and professionals, and will consist of a Prologue, two XCM style stages, and one XCO stage. Rwanda has a strong cycling tradition, as evidenced in the annual road race Tour du Rwanda and documentaries like Rising from Ashes and Land of Second Chances, and has sent MTBers to both Rio and London Olympics. In the past four years though, the focus in the country has almost entirely shifted to road cycling, which is something the organizers, RAR events hope to correct, according to Simon De Schutter, one of the race officials. “Rwanda has a nearly endless network of amazing trails, and even though the country is small, the variety of scenery is amazing.” “It is an extremely safe country as well, and people truly love cycling. With Rwandan Epic we hope to bring new life into the Rwandan MTB scene since we believe its potential is humongous.” “We want it to reach other parts of Rwanda in the coming years,” he said. Rwandan Epic is open to all races from people under the age of 18.
