Team roster
- As of 8 February 2021. [2]
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| Team information | |
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| UCI code |
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| Registered | Rwanda |
| Founded | 2005 [1] |
| Status | National (2005–2018) UCI Continental (2019–) |
| Team name history | |
2005–2018 2019 2020– | Benediction Cycling Team Benediction–Excel Energy Benediction Ignite |
Benediction Ignite is a professional road bicycle racing team which participates in elite races. The team was established in 2005, before becoming UCI registered in 2018, in preparation for the 2019 season.
The team roster previously featured a number of notable Rwandan cyclists: 2018 Rwandan cyclist of the year Patrick Byukusenge, 2015 Tour of Rwanda winner Jean Bosco Nsengimana, 2016 national road champion Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, 2017 national road champion Gasore Hategeka and reigning national champion Didier Munyaneza. [1]
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Adrien Niyonshuti is a Rwandan former professional bicycle racer, who rode professionally for Team Dimension Data from 2009 to 2017. He now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team Skol Adrien Cycling Academy. Although he survived, six of Niyonshuti's brothers were killed in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Niyonshuti began riding a bicycle given to him by his uncle as a teenager, when he came to the attention of former professional cyclist Jacques Boyer in 2006 during the first Wooden Bike Classic.
Edwin Alcibiades Ávila Vanegas is a Colombian road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Burgos BH. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the Men's team pursuit for the national team. He won the Colombian National Road Race Championships in 2016.
Delko is a French UCI ProTeam that was founded in 1974. They became a Continental team in 2011 allowing them to ride UCI Europe Tour races.
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is a Dutch road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam SD Worx. In 2017 she became world road race champion in Bergen, Norway.
Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin is an Eritrean cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Astana–Premier Tech. He was named in the start list for the 2015 Tour de France, becoming one of the first two black Africans to start the Tour alongside teammate and countryman Daniel Teklehaimanot. At the age of 21 Kudus was the youngest rider in the race. He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia.
Joseph Rosskopf is an American cyclist from Decatur, Georgia, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Rally Cycling.
Mekseb Debesay Abrha is an Eritrean racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Bike Aid. He rode at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships, as well as the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, where he was the only rider from Eritrea to compete in the men's elite road race. He won the 2014 Tour d'Algérie. He is the brother of fellow racing cyclist Mossana Debesai.
Bonaventure Uwizeyimana is a Rwandan cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team Benediction–Excel Energy.
Amalie Dideriksen is a Danish road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Trek–Segafredo.
Simon Pellaud is a Swiss cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec. He was named in the start list for the 2015 Vuelta a España. In October 2020, he was named in the startlist for the 2020 Giro d'Italia.
Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia is a Colombian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Androni Giocattoli–Sidermec.
Joseph Areruya is a Rwandan cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Benediction Ignite. In 2017 he won the Tour du Rwanda. He became the first cyclist from Rwanda to ride in the Paris–Roubaix road race, when he took part in the 2019 edition.
Jean Bosco Nsengimana is a Rwandan cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team Benediction–Excel Energy. He won the Tour du Rwanda in 2015 and rode the UCI Road World Championships.
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier Egerzeigzaarhka is an Ethiopian-born Eritrean cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Trek–Segafredo. In August 2018, he was named in the startlist for the 2018 Vuelta a España. In May 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Giro d'Italia.
Gasore Hategeka is a Rwandan cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team Benediction–Excel Energy. He is a former national road race champion of Rwanda.
The 2019 Tour du Rwanda was a road cycling stage race that took place between 24 February and 3 March 2019. The race was rated as a 2.1 event as part of the 2019 UCI Africa Tour, and was the 22nd edition of the Tour du Rwanda.
Biniam Ghirmay Hailu is an Eritrean road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Delko.
Didier Munyaneza is a Rwandan cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Benediction Ignite.
Yevgeniy Fedorov is a Kazakh professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Astana–Premier Tech.
The 2020 Tour du Rwanda was a road cycling stage race that took place in Rwanda between 23 February and 1 March 2020. The race was rated as a 2.1 event as part of the 2020 UCI Africa Tour, and was the 23rd edition of the Tour du Rwanda.
