Reigning
Tour du Rwanda champion Valens Ndayisenga has been named among the
final five cyclists in contention for the 2014 African cyclist of the
year award.
The
jury chaired by Bernard Hinault, five-time winner of the Tour de
France, announced the five finalists that include Ndayisenga, last
year’s winner Louis Meintjes from South Africa, 2012 winner Natnael
Berhane of Eritrea, 2014 African champion Mekseb Debesay from Eritrea
and Moroccan Mouhssine Lahsaini.
“This
means so much to me and most importantly, I am honoured to be
representing my country. This took a lot of teamwork, commitment and
determination,” said Ndayisenga in an interview with Times Sport.
Ndayisenga,
who is also currently ranked sixth on the continent, made the original
15-man list that also included fellow country-mate Bonaventure
Uwizeyimana.
Uwizeyimana
became the first African to win a stage at the gruesome La Tropicale
Amissa Bongo in Gabon from Lambaréné to Kango, a distance of 143km that
he clocked in 3:16:31 earlier this year.
Meanwhile,
20-year old Ndayisenga became the first Rwandan to win the Tour du
Rwanda since its inception in the UCI Africa Tour calendar in 2009.
This
is the second year in a row that Ndayisenga is being nominated for the
coveted continental award as last year he was on the 24-man shortlist
alongside teammate Janvier Hadi.
Back
then, Hadi had won bronze at the Africa continental championships in
Egypt and Ndayisenga at 19 was the youngest rider to win a stage at the
Tour du Rwanda.
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