Joseph Areruya (Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental Team) today became the first Rwandan rider to win a European UCI race when he was first across the line on stage 5a of the U23 Giro d’Italia.
It’s the biggest race of the season for the African development team in which they have already enjoyed success through Areruya and Nicholas Dlamini who have both worn the King of the Mountains jersey.
Today saw the riders take on an 87-kilometre road stage with a 14km individual time trial following in the afternoon. After some great work by the entire team to set up Dlamini for the two GPM sprints during the stage, he was able to extend his lead in the King of the Mountains competition. The race then came back together for the technical finish, run over two city circuit laps.
Numerous attacks went off the front in the final 15 kilometres but the European teams were closing down all the moves, making it extremely difficult for anyone to get away.
After carefully monitoring all these late attacks and not wasting any energy, Areruya saw his opportunity with 5 kilometres to go. The 21-year-old Rwandan put in a strong counter-attack and rode away from peloton, quickly opening up a 25″ lead on the main group.
The final 3 kilometres was all uphill though, with a maximum gradient of 18% before reaching the cobblestone finishing straight. While all previous attacks had failed, Areruya’s strength and tactical timing saw him ride to a fantastic victory.
In addition to it being the first ever victory by a Rwandan rider on the European racing circuit, it is also the first win for the All-African Continental Team outside the continent of Africa. As the feeder team to World Tour squad, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, the result also bodes well for the future of African cycling on the global cycling stage.
PROUD pic.twitter.com/I0JpN9D0NM
— VOLSAVANT (@sterlingmagnell) June 13, 2017
Hailing from Rwanda, 21-year-old Areruya joined the Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental Team set up based in Lucca, Italy at the beginning of 2017. Areruya is a product of the Adrien Niyonshuti cycling academy, started by current World Tour cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti.
Niyonshuti knew Areruya’s family from a young age as Joseph’s father was a cyclist and assisted Adrien in the early years of his cycling career. When Joseph was only 11 year’s old, Adrien went back to the Areruya family and asked if he could take young Areruya under his wing, put him on a bicycle and give him the opportunity to change his life through the sport of cycling. From that moment, Niyonshuti has been mentoring Areruya and guiding him down the path of a professional cycling career.
Joseph was picked up by Team Rwanda Cycling in 2011 and coached by head coach Sterling Magnell before he joined Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental Team. He was inspired by his dad who was also a top racer in Rwanda.
In 2013 as a 17-year-old, Areruya finished 9th at the Rwandan national road championships, his first notable result. 2 years later Areruya placed 2nd at the national champs and then went on to finish 2nd overall at the Tour du Rwanda, a remarkable performance for a 19-year-old racing in the elite category. A string of consistent results throughout the African Continental circuit last year, including winning the Circuit International Constantine in Algeria and a stage win at the Tour du Rwanda, led the UCI Continental Team to sign Areruya for his first full season in Europe for 2017.
