Biziyaremye scores important first for Rwanda

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For the first time in the three years since the Tour of Rwanda has been registered in the UCI calender, a rider from the national team has captured a stage victory. The man who delighted the local tifosi was Joseph Biziyaremye, 23 years old, who attacked on the final day of the race, just 12 kilometres from the finish in Kigali.

“It's a great victory which is a good example to all the young riders in the team,” Rwanda’s national coach Jock Boyer told Cyclingnews.

Biziyaremye joined the Rwandan team in the summer after he won a domestic race, and spent one month in the UCI Continental Center in South Africa. His victory thrilled the crowds gathered at the uphill-finish in Kigali, near the regional football stadium.

Kiel Reijnen, from Team Type 1-Sanofi, finished second, nine seconds later, securing his overall victory, while his teammate Joey Rosskopf was third on the stage.

“It's a very important victory for my morale,” Reijnen said, as he spent seven months off the bike because of a virus. “The team was amazing. This victory is definitely a team effort. I also have to congratulate the Rwandan team which put so many riders into the leading group and MTN for having controlled the race today.”

Indeed, MTN-Qhubeka's Rwandan rider Adrien Nyunshuti, who won the polka-dot jersey, made a strong tempo on the climb for his teammate Dylan Girdlestone. Third overall at 40 seconds, the latter has been sick for the past two days. “I struggled since kilometre zero,” he admitted. “If my chest had been better, I think I could have won the race.”

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