Today Tour du Rwanda team presentation: Kigali Convention Center 6pm Sunday (Stage 1) Rwamagana – Rwamagana (104km) Monday (Stage 2) Kigali – Huye (120.3km) Tuesday (Stage 3) Huye – Musanze (195.3km) Wednesday (Stage 4) Musanze – Karongi (135.8km) Thursday (Stage 5) Karongi – Rubavu (95.1km) Friday (Stage 6) Rubavu – Kinigi (Volcanoes National Park) 108.5km Saturday (Stage 7) Musanze – Kigali (107.4km) Sunday (Stage 8) Kigali – Kigali (82.2km) The president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), David Lappartient, has confirmed he will be gracing today’s maiden team presentation ceremony of Tour du Rwanda. The historic opening ceremony will be hosted at Kigali Convention Centre. In an interview with Saturday Sport on Friday, Tour du Rwanda’s Head of Communications Jacques Furaha revealed that Lappartient, who was expected to jet in later in the day, will be in the country for a three-day visit during which he will preside over the opening ceremony. “He is expected to arrive today (Friday) evening and will be our guest of honour during the team presentation ceremony”, Furaha said. He added that, “During his three-day visit, he will also visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Africa Rising Cycling Centre in Musanze District before presiding over the start of Tour du Rwanda in Rwamagana on Sunday.” This is the first time that Tour du Rwanda will be preceded by a team presentation ceremony since 2009 when it became part of UCI Africa Tour. The local cycling fraternity is celebrating ten years since the annual race got incorporated into UCI Africa Tour calendar. At the same time, it is the last time that the event will be classified as a 2.2 UCI category race as it will be upgraded to 2.1 effective next year. Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) disclosed that the rationale of this event is to reflect on how far the sport has come in Rwanda over the last decade, appreciate the partners and bid farewell to the 2.2 category before upgrading to a 2.1 UCI category race. To celebrate the 10 years as well as bidding farewell to the 2.2 race category, FERWACY added five new stage routes to this year’s edition, with the overall goal of giving many Rwandans a chance to witness and enjoy the race. As part of the new additions in this year’s race, there will be two departures from Musanze (Musanze – Karongi, stage 4 and Musanze – Kigali, stage 7) to honour the Africa Rising Cycling Centre (ARCC), which has remarkably contributed to the development of the sport in Rwanda. Full 16-team list for the 2018 Tour du Rwanda Team Rwanda, Club Benediction and Les Amis Sportifs (Rwanda), GSP Algeria (Algeria), Team Sampada (South Africa), Kenyan Riders Safaricom (Kenya), Bai Sicasal-Perol de Luanda (Angola) and Swiss side Team Loup Suisse Romandie. Others are; Marc Pro Gym One Cycling Team and Team Norvo Nordisk (USA), Team Haute-Savoie Rhone-Alpes, SNH Velo Club of Cameroun and Pays des Olonnes Cycliste Côte de Lumière (France), Germany’s Team Embrace the World, South Africa and Ethiopia. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
