Umjubelte Lokalmatadorin auf Dem 31-Km-kurs in Kigali: Xaverine Nirere, Die Am Ende 27. Wurde
Photo: Imago/Frontalvision.com
The road bike championships in Rwanda started with two sporty bang strokes. The Swiss Marlen Reusser won the time trial of women with almost a minute ahead of the second -placed Anna van der Breggen. That was actually a house brand on the 31.2 kilometer course. Remco Evenepoel designed the men’s race over 40.6 kilometers even more superior. On the paving stone section two kilometers before the finish, he even caught up with the favorites Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia), which started two and a half minutes before him.
While Evenepoel pointed out his third World Cup victory in this discipline in his winner pose with three outstretched fingers, Reusser was an overjoyed novice. “I came into this sport as a time trial specialist, I also defeated many victories in this discipline and great drivers. But at the Olympic Games or World Championships, it didn’t want to work so far. It was a hard crack nut, «she introduced a German colloquial turn in Africa.
The other, the greater crack nut, was the venue of the World Cup itself. The World Association UCI took 125 years to bring its main event, the World Cup, to Africa. In 2021 the decision for the organizer Rwanda was made. It was one of the early promises of UCI President David Lappartant. The Frenchman naturally reminded that he had now followed it.
On the way to gold: Swiss Marlen Reusser on the route in Kigali
Photo: DPA/AP/Jerome Delay
For Rwanda, the World Cup also means a big step. »Sport plays an important role for us. He was one of the pillars in building a new company after the genocide in 1994 and is now also an important economic factor, «says Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire. Rwanda is investing in sports, as the AMHORO stadium, which was extended to 45,000 places and the BK Arena, which is located right next to it, proves with 10,000 indoor places. A Formula 1 racetrack is to be created just a few kilometers away. “Yes, we applied for it,” confirmed Mukazayire.
And now the bike World Cup is here. She was also opened in the BK Arena by a local athlete. Xaverine Nirere was the first to drove down from the starting ramp. Of course she was excited, she said later. But she was also happy and let herself protrude from the fans’ cheers. It came to a good 27th place among 44 starters, and was the first to be the best of the ramp of all African starters. Incidentally, she started seriously with cycling in Corona times, as a student at the time. “The schools were closed during the pandemic, so I had a lot of time for cycling,” she said cheerfully. Now she is driving for a Kenyan team and hopes to take part in European races in the not too long time – maybe even in the Tour de France.
Your compatriot Diane Ingabire is even half a step further. She is under contract in the youngsters of the German racing team “Canyon Sram Zondacrypto” and is aiming for the entire range of big races, from tour to Giro to Vuelta. The World Cup in Rwanda can help that such wishes are no longer considered exotic or ambitious, but cycling careers of African athletes are no longer considered normal.
For the third time world champion: the Belgian Remco Evenepoel during the individual time trial
Photo: DPA/AP/Jerome Delay
However, athletes from Europe still occupy the front ranks. Behind the Swiss Reusser, the Dutchman Anna van der Breggen and Demi full ring took the other two podium places. Two Europeans were on the podium for men. The Belgian Evenepoel won in front of the Australian Jay Vine and his Belgian teammate Ilan van Wilder, who even pushed superstar Tadej Pogačar into fourth place.
Antonia Niedermaier provided 6th place among women. Miguel Heidemann was 17th among the men. On Monday, the time trial in women and men are in the U23 category, and juniors follow Tuesday. The weekend is reserved for the street races.