Team Rwanda riders Bosco Nsengimana (L) and Joseph Areruya (R) pose with Eritrean Mekseb Debesay who won Gold in elite Men’s Individual Time Trial yesterday. (All photos by Sam Ngendahimana)Elite men’s ITT, top three
1 DEBESAY Mekseb (Eritrea) – 53:25
2. NSENGIMANA Jean Bosco (Rwanda) – 54:16
3. ARERUYA Joseph (Rwanda) – 54:19
U23 men’s TTT, top three
1. Areruya Joseph (Rwanda) – 54:19
2. EBRAHIM Redwan (Ethiopia) – 54:19
3. MUSIE MEHARI Saymon (Eritrea) – 56:27
Elite women’s TTT, top 3
1. DEBESAY Mosana (Eritrea) – 01:04:45:59
2. AMHA Selam (Ethiopia) 01:04:58:99
3. GEBRU Eyeru Tesfoam (Ethiopia) 01:06:10:48
U23 women’s TTT, top 3
1. AMHA Selam (Ethiopia) 01:04:58:99
2. GEBRU Eyeru Tesfoam (Ethiopia) 01:06:10:48
3. GEBREHIWET Tigisti (Eritrea) 01:06:43:92
Junior men’s ITT, top three
1. Biniyam Ghirmay (Eritrea) – 26:39:36
2. Yves Nkurunziza (Rwanda) – 27:35:55
3. Natan Medhanie (Eritrea) – 27:49:22
Junior women’s ITT, top three
1. Desiet Kidane (Eritrea) – 31:30:24
2. Tsadkan Kasahun (Ethiopia) – 33:11:89
3. Zayid Hailu (Ethiopia) – 34:04:29
CYCLING giants Eritrea put up a great show on day 2 of the ongoing 13th African Continental Road Championship, winning a total of seven medals including four gold pieces in Individual Time Trial races.
Newly decorated Africa’s top cyclist Joseph Areruya of Rwanda was on the other hand, the sole double medal winner of the day. The reigning Tour du Rwanda and La Tropicale Amissa Bongo champion, Areruya, struck gold in Under-23 riders and bronze in elite men category.
However, it was Eritrea that walked away with honors of the day; gold in elite men, gold in elite women, gold in junior men and gold in junior women’s category.
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s Debesay Mekseb, 26, bagged gold in elite men’s Individual Time Trial, winning it for a second time following the 2015 victory. Only compatriot Daniel Teklehaimanot has won the elite men’s gold medals more times (4) in that category. Former Tour du Rwanda champion Jean Bosco Nsengimana clinched silver in elites.
In elite women, Debesay Mosana of Eritrea, Mekseb Debesay’s young sister, won gold after using 1 hour, 4 minutes, 58 seconds and 99 microseconds. Ethiopian duo of Amha Selam and Gebru Eyeru Tesfoam won silver and bronze medals respectively.
In juniors, youngster Yves Nkurunziza was the sole home rider to strike a medal, silver, after finishing second in the male category, 56 seconds behind Eritrea’s Biniyam Ghirmay who clocked 26 minutes, 29 seconds and 36 microseconds to cover the 18.6km race.
In junior women’s fray, another Eritrean young cyclist Desiet Kidane snatched a gold medal while Ethiopia’s duo of Tsadkan Kasahun and Zayid Hailu finished second and third walking away with silver and bronze medals respectively.
Both junior male and female riders raced a distance of 18.6 kilometres. The boys had an average speed of 41.8km/hour while their female counterparts rode at an average 35.4km/hour speed.
Elite men registered an average 45.2km/hour speed compared to 37.06km/hour for elite women cyclists. Both gender categories had a total 40 kilometres from Nyanza- Kicukiro to Golden Tulip Hotel in Nyamata – Bugesera and back to Nyanza.
After Wednesday’s Team Time Trial and Individual Time Trial races on Thursday, riders will have a day off on Friday before returning to action on Saturday with the road race in junior categories and elite women.
The championship will come to a close on Sunday with elite men’s road race, which is regarded as the main and most grueling race of the competition. Riders will ride a total 168km distance, doing 12 laps across Amahoro stadium – Kimironko – Kibagabaga – Nyarutarama – Gishushu and Amahoro stadium.
Eritrea has so far won 10 medals including 6 gold, 1 silver and 1 Bronze. Ethiopia follows with 8 medals including 2 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze. Rwanda has also won 8 medals including 2 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze. Burundi has so far managed only one medal (silver) same as Namibia and Algeria that have a bronze each.
