Last week in Kigali, Valens Ndayisenga claimed a record-equalling fifth stage win of the Tour of Rwanda, while behind him, Joseph Areruya crossed the line to secure his first overall win. The final stage, a 120km jaunt around the capital over ten laps, sent the Rwandan fans into raptures with the dual success of the country's two bright young talents.
For the 2.2 race, Sunday was also an end of an era. First held in 1984, the Tour of Rwanda was elevated to UCI status in 2009 with a November time slot. In 2018, the race moves to August and then from 2019 it will be upgraded to 2.1 status, with its time slot likely to be in February or March
The remarkable story of Rwandan cycling is intrinsically tied to the national tour. For the land-locked east African nation, cycling has been a tool of national healing, providing hope and opportunity when all seemed lost in the 1990s. The final 20th century edition of the race was won by Faustin M'Parabanyi in 1991, one of three Rwandans to ride the 1992 Olympic Games road race, before cycling became of little interest to a country caught in the throes of civil war.
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The race resumed in 2001 with Bernard N'Sengiyumva taking the overall victory, the first for a Rwandan riding under the new blue, yellow and green flag. Four consecutive wins then went to Abraham Ruhumuriza, followed by a win by Keynan Peter Kamau in 2006. Ruhumuriza took his revenge the next year with Adrien Niyonshuti winning the final non-UCI edition of the race.
At UCI level, the Rwandans would find overall victory an elusive goal with the higher level of competition favouring the foreign riders. In 2009, Moroccan Adil Jelloul wrote his name into the record books as the overall winner. The following year, the race was won in commanding style by Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot. Not only did Teklehaimanot take a stage and overall victory, a week before the tour, he had won the team time trial, time trial and road race at the African Championships in Kigali.
Despite the early success of the foreign riders once the race went to UCI level, the tide turned for Rwanda in 2014 when Ndayisenga became the youngest winner in the short history of the race. The then 20-year-old started a run of wins for Rwanda, which extended to four straight with Areruya's recent triumph.
Renewed financial support
African world championships
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