Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rwandan mountain biker Bukhari Banzi and Dutch counterpart Louis Van Zeelanda became the first men’s duo to win a stage at the 2025 Rwanda Epic, after dominating the 8.8-kilometre opening stage held at Fazenda Sengha, Nyamirambo, on Monday, December 1.
The short but intense stage, featuring 259 metres of elevation, opened competition across the men’s duo, women’s duo and mixed duo categories.
Banzi and Van Zeelanda clocked 26 minutes and 26 seconds, finishing 19 seconds ahead of Dutch rider Daniel Gathot and Belgian Bart Claessens in second place. Kenya’s Dan Kiptala and Belgian Lukas Baum completed the podium.
“I had a good teammate, which made the first stage easier to win. Competing alongside an international rider also gave us valuable experience,” Banzi said.
Martha Ntakirutimana (R) and Elodie Kuijper (L) emerged victorious in opening stage of women’s duo race
In the women’s duo category, Martha Ntakirutimana and Dutch rider Elodie Kuijper won in 36 minutes and 3 seconds, becoming the only pair in the category to complete the course.
Ntakirutimana, who represented Team Rwanda at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, said the experience is helping her grow in mountain biking.
“It was my third time competing in a mountain bike race. It’s a great opportunity to help professionalize other cycling disciplines, not only road racing,” she said.
South Africans Wade Young and Bianca Haw claimed victory in the mixed duo category with a time of 32 minutes and 42 seconds.
Belgian rider Geert Knoops won the solo stage in 30 minutes and 11 seconds. He survived pressure from Thomas Naerland while Rwanda’s Jackson Nkurikiyinka, fresh from competing at the 2025 African Road Cycling Championships in Kenya, finished third, 36 seconds behind Knoops.
Stage Two is scheduled Tuesday, with riders set to start from Nyirangarama and finish in Musanze, covering 76 km with an elevation gain of 1,846 metres.
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