Rwanda’s women win three golds at African Cycling Championships

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Rwanda’s women made a strong start at the African Road Cycling Championships in Kisumu, Kenya, on Wednesday, winning three gold medals in the individual time trials.

Diane Ingabire won the elite women’s race, while Jazila Mwamikazi took the under-23 title and Yvonne Masengesho claimed gold in the junior category.

Rwanda won the gold medal in this category Photo credit Kenya cycling federation

Ingabire clocked 31 minutes, 2.742 seconds over the 20.4km course to beat Mauritius’ Aurelie Halbwachs by just over a second. South Africa’s Lucy Young finished third in 31:26.124.

Halbwachs crossed the line in 31:04.288, leaving little between the two leading riders in a closely contested race.

Mwamikazi added another gold for Rwanda in the under-23 category, finishing the 20.4km course in 31:17.581. South Africa’s Marzaan Mellett took silver in 31:45.360, while Ethiopia’s Tsige Kiros was third in 32:03.991.

Masengesho completed Rwanda’s golden start in the women’s events, winning the junior 10.2km time trial in 15:37.193. Egypt’s Joudy El Sayed finished second in 15:40.719, with Ethiopia’s Rahel Gimbato taking bronze in 16:08.730.

Rwanda’s performance gave the team three gold medals from the women’s time trials on the opening day of the championships.

Mauritius wins elite men’s race

Mauritius’ Alexandre Mayer won the men’s elite time trial after a strong finish saw him overtake Eritrea’s Merhawi Kudus, who had looked well placed to take gold.

Uganda’s Charles Kagimu had also led for much of the race, but Mayer made up time in the closing stages to finish in 40:32.493, 9.563 seconds ahead of Kudus. Kagimu took bronze in 41:06.099.

Kagimu said the course was demanding, with dust, loose stones and numerous corners making it difficult for riders.

The Ugandan national champion also revealed that a power outage at his hotel had disrupted his preparation the night before the race, leaving him with little sleep.

“The course was a challenge, there was a lot of dust and small rocks on the road and lots of corners too,” he said.

“I did not get enough sleep last night. The hotel we were staying at lost power, so there was no air conditioning and also lots of mosquitoes. I slept at around 4am.”

Kagimu said riders had to remain prepared for unexpected challenges and keep pushing despite difficult circumstances.

Rwanda’s men face tougher competition

Rwanda did not win a medal in the men’s under-23 or junior time trials, as Eritrea, South Africa and Mauritius claimed the top positions.

Eritrea’s Yafiet Mulugeta won the men’s under-23 30.6km race in 41:53.759. South Africa’s Joshua Dike finished second in 42:02.000, followed by compatriot Ryno Schutte in 42:40.258.

Mauritius’ Tristan Hardy won the men’s junior 20.4km time trial in 26:49.027, narrowly beating South Africa’s Henro Van Der Walt, who finished in 26:54.558. Algeria’s Selmane Mansouri took third place in 27:07.327.

The results gave Mauritius two gold medals on the opening day, while Eritrea claimed one.

Kenya’s riders, competing on home roads, had mixed results. In the women’s under-23 race, Megan Ivuzu and Hannah Kibet finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Frankline Kibet placed 21st in the men’s junior time trial.

The championships continue with the remaining road events, as Rwanda looks to build on its strong opening day, led by its women riders.

Sumarised Day One Results:

Elite Time Trials:

Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial (30.6km):