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Kagimu in Tour du Rwanda debut
Seeking Improvement. Kagimu during training in Kenya recently. PHOTO | ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI
What you need to know:
- On Wednesday, Kagimu finished the 123.9km Kigali-Musaze race in 10:31 minutes behind Colombian Brayan Sánchez of Team Medellin, whose total time was 13:20:18 hours.
Uganda’s professional cyclist Charles Kagimu finished Stage Four of the Tour du Rwanda in 35th position but he will not regret his performance on his debut of a very highly rated event.
On Wednesday, Kagimu finished the 123.9km Kigali-Musaze race in 10:31 minutes behind Colombian Brayan Sánchez of Team Medellin, whose total time was 13:20:18 hours.
But Kagimu’s time was two positions better than his performance in Stage Two and ranked third among his Bike Aid teammates.
Swedish Erik Bergstrom Frisk was the best Bike Aid performer with a fourth place finish, followed by Dutch Adne van Engelen in 19th. Kenyan Salim Kipkemboi came 36th, just behind Kagimu, while German Nikodemus Holler finished 58th among 69 participants.
In the tedious 149.3km Nyagatare-Kigali Stage Five yesterday, Kagimu finished 33rd, again two places better than his previous stage. Frenchman Alan Boileau of B&B Hotels was leading the standings with three stage wins.
In an interview before traveling to Rwanda last week, the 22-year old Kagimu said entering this event is a great honour and his main goal is learning from the experience.
Finishing all the eight stages of the Tour that climaxes on Sunday will be an achievement itself for Kagimu.
Bike Aid is a German cycling club founded in 2012 that participates in UCI Continental Circuits races.
CHANCES
On The Prowl. Bike Aids roster has 12 cyclists from Europe and Africa. Kagimu was the captain of Team Uganda that finished fifth among 38 nations at the African Continental Championships in Cairo. When Kagimu joined the team in 2017, he saw opportunities to race in international races in close range. Four years later, he is living his dream.
RESULT
Stage 1 Kigali-Rwamagana 115.6km 54th
Stage 2 Kigali-Huye 120.5km 33rd
Stage 3 Nyanza-Gicumbi 171.5km 37th
Stage 4 Kigali-Musanze 123.9km 35th
Stage 5 Nyagatare-Kigali 149.3km 33rd
