Team Rwanda will be eyeing home glory as they seek to win the 2017 Tour du Rwanda
With just four days left to the start of the 2017 Tour du Rwanda edition, Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) has confirmed the start list of riders who will be competing in the most exciting UCI 2.2 event which starts on November 12 until 19, 2017.
The Tour du Rwanda start list of 79 riders representing six national teams and eleven professional clubs has official race numbers, with defending champion Rwandan Ndayisenga Valens, currently with Austria’s Tirol Cycling team, taking the number one position.
Ndayisenga’s team mates Gamper Patrick, Knapp Daniel and Vermeulen Moran occupy the remaining top three starting slots.
Other teams to watch during this year’s edition include Dimension Data for Qhubeka which will be led by Eritrean Eyob Metkel alongside Rwandan dup of Areruya Joseph and Mugisha Samuel, Weldu Hafetab and South African De Bod Stefan.
Other teams to watch include Team Rwanda composed of Nsengimana Jean Bosco, Uwizeye Jean Claude, Byukusenge Patrick, Ukiniwabo Jean Paul Rene and Munyaneza Didier; Benediction club which will be composed of Hategeka Gasore, Nduwayo Eric, Ruberwa Jean, Nizeyimana Alexis and Uwizeyimana Bonaventure among others.
Since 2014, Rwandans have dominated the annual competition. In 2014, Valens Ndayisenga, who then was riding for Team Rwanda Kalisimbi, made history becoming the first Rwandan to win the annual race since it became part of UCI Africa 2.2 tour and in 2015, Jean Bosco Nsengimana, also riding for Kalisimbi claimed it.
Last year, Ndayisenga, riding for South Africa’s Dimension Data for Qhubeka, triumphed and in the process, became the first rider to win it more than once since it became an international race in 2009.
For this year, the Rwamagana-born rider will be racing for Austria’s Tirol Cycling team. Other Rwandan professional riders tipped to shine are; Samuel Mugisha and Joseph Areruya, who are contracted to Dimension Data for Qhubeka.
The big names that will likely race for local teams include; Nsengimana, Jean Claude Uwizeye, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, Patrick Byukusenge and Gasore Hategeka.
The Tour du Rwanda has established itself as one of Africa’s major stage races and has helped a lot of African riders to develop themselves.
Below is a list of the Tour du Rwanda 2017 riders and their shirt numbers:
Tirol Cycling Team
1 Ndayisenga Valens
2 Gamper Patrick
3 Knapp Daniel
4 Vermeulen Moran
Dimension Data
11 Eyob Metkel
12 Areruya Joseph
13 Mugisha Samuel
14 Weldu Hafetab
15 De Bod Stefan
Eritrea National Team
21 Okubamariam Tesfom
22 Musie Mehari Saymon
23 Tsegay Amanueal
24 Debretsion Aron
25 Mebrahtom Natnael
Rwanda National Team
31 Nsengimana Jean Bosco
32 Uwizeye Jean Claude
33 Byukusenge Patrick
34 Ukiniwabo Jean Paul Rene
35 Munyaneza Didier
BIKE AID
41 Holler Nikodemus
42 Kipkemboi Salim
43 Kangangi Suleiman
44 Langat Geoffrey
45 Van Engellen Adne
BENEDICTION CLUB
51 Hategeka Gasore
52 Nduwayo Eric
53 Ruberwa Jean
54 Nizeyimana Alexis
55 Uwizeyimana Bonaventure
Kenyan Riders SAFARICOM
61 Kiplagat Kelvin Kiping’Etich
62 Gathiambo Joshpat
63 Kariuki John
64 Kimutai Andrew
65 Kipkemboi Kiplagat Cornelius
HAUTE SAVOIE AUVERGNE RHONES ALPES
71 Fournet Fayard Sebastien
72 Clavel Sylvain
73 Jeannes Mathieu
74 Roux Nicolas
75 Goudin Valentin
ALGERIA National Team
81 Lagab Azzedine
82 Mansouri Abderrahmane
83 Mansouri Islam
84 Lounis Mehdi
85 Hamza Yacine
ETHIOPIA National Team
91 Giday Kibrom
92 Gebremariam Fiseha
93 Ebrahim Redwan
94 Gebrewahd Tamrat Meresa
95 Redae Tedros
LOWESTRATES.CA
101 McPhaden Cameron
102 Keeping Stephen
103 Cusson Fradet Jules
104 Wachtendorf Brelt
105 Greene Edward
LES AMIS SPORTIFS
111 Tuyishimire Ephrem
112 Rugamba Janvier
113 Uwingeneye Jimmy
114 Hakiruwizeye Samuel
115 Mfitumukiza Jean Claude
DUKLA BANSKA BYSTRICA
121 Tybor Patrik
122 Oros Samuel
123 Foltan Adrian
124 Mahdar Martin
125 Palcak Josef
MAURITIUS National Team
131 Rougier-Lagane Christopher
132 Le Court de Billot Olivier
133 Mayer Alexendre
134 Lincoln Yannick
135 How Saw Keng Mathew
TEAM ILLUMINATE
141 Avila Vanegas Edwin Alcibiades
142 Mccutcheon Connor
143 Piper Cameron
144 Eastern Griffin
145 Pellaud Simon
Morocco National Team
151 AIT El bdia Anass
152 Benouzza Hicham
153 Sabbahi Lahcen
154 Sabbahi El Houcaine
155 Saber Lahcen
Interpro cycling Academy
161 Okubamariam Tesfom
162 Garcia Damien
163 Hurdy Florian
164 Amadori Julien
165 Lamarre Sony
Tour du Rwanda 2017 routes:
12-11-2017: Kigali-Kigali lap (3.3 km)
13-11-2017: Kigali-Huye (120.3 km)
14-11-2017: Nyanza-Rubavu (180 km)
15-11-2017: Rubavu-Musanze (95km)
16-11-2017: Musanze- Nyamata (121 km)
17-11-2017: Nyamata-Rwamagana (93.1 km)
18-11-2017: Kayonza-Kigali (86.3 km)
19-11-2017: Kigali-Kigali (120 km)
