Renus Uhiriwe is now training to ride for the national team in the forthcoming Tour du Rwanda before heading to Europe to join his UCI Continental Team Qhubeka squad. He follows in the footsteps of many brilliant young African riders, who want to establish their mark at home before moving on to compete at the top level. Amidst his preparations for the race, Renus took the time to tell us a bit more about himself and his hopes for the future.
Tell us about where you are from and a bit about your family.
I’m from Rwanda, something that I’m incredibly proud of, and at home it’s my mother, sister, and brother, while I’m the youngest child.
How did you become a cyclist?
My father used to ride a bike, so I got his one when I was young and I liked it very much, after which he bought me a small bike. My home is near the Africa Rising Cycling Centre, and I saw the cyclists passing my home, going to the centre for training.
I really just enjoyed riding my bike and eventually got to train with the national team, and it went from there. In my first race, I won the Rwandan Championships, so that confirmed to me that it was my talent; I started to race my bike more regularly and decided it was my dream. The bicycle has literally changed my life.
Who is your cycling hero?
I have many cycling heroes. As I’m a sprinter, I like Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish, but then I also have other heroes in Tadej Pogacar and Egan Bernal. I am also a big fan of Giacomo Nizzolo, who used to race for our team and always showed such tremendous fight. As a sprinter, I want to do well here in Africa but also, more importantly, in Europe.
What is your cycling goal?
My ultimate goal is to win races in Europe and then graduate to the World Tour. But first is to win races in Africa – it would be a huge moment for Rwanda and also a big step in my cycling career. I could, potentially, be the first Rwandan to win a stage at the Tour du Rwanda since it’s been classified as a UCI 2.1 event.
How proud are you to represent Rwanda on the global stage?
I am extremely proud to represent my country – it means everything to me – and I have set myself the goal of winning a stage at the Tour du Rwanda, which would be amazing for our country.
Will you be there when the 2025 UCI World Championships are in Rwanda?
I really hope that I will be at the 2025 World Championships. That is my goal and my target. It would be amazing to race on my home roads in front of our incredible crowd, proudly representing Rwanda. This will be an amazing moment for our continent and for cycling.
What is your message to young Rwandan cyclists, and other riders from Africa, who want to emulate you in travelling to Europe to race their bikes?
Young riders need to work hard and love what they do. For young African riders to have the opportunity to race in Europe is extremely important, so my message is that they need to focus and love racing their bikes.