The foreign legion dominated by Ugandans and Ethiopians won in all the professional categories of the Jubilee Insurance Grand Nairobi Bike Race at the Kenyan capital city on Sunday.
Uganda’s Jordan Schleck Ssekanwagi, upstaged his compatriot and defending champion Charles Kagimu in a sprint finish to reclaim the men’s 75km title and seal a double.
Ssekanwagi, 23, who won the inaugural edition in 2019, finished in one hour, 30 minutes and 39 seconds, one second ahead of Kagimu as the Ugandans, who are training mates at Iten-based Team Amani, ruled the roost.
Kenya’s John Muchiri broke the Ugandan dominance to finish third in 1:33:50.
Ethiopia’s Merhamit Hadush, 20, reigned supreme in the women’s 75km race in 1:38:25, beating Uganda’s Mary Aleper, who settled for second place in 1:46:55 as Kenya’s Jamila Abdula timed 1:47:28 for bronze.
An estimated 3,500 cyclists participated in the fourth edition of the race christened ‘Jubilee Live Free Race.’ Uganda’s contingent was 100 riders heavy.
The event is geared towards providing a competitive arena for cyclists as well as serving a powerful advocacy platform for physical activity, holistic wellbeing and environmental conservation.
The race was watched live from the Race Village at the Nyayo National Stadium by Kenya’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Environment Program (Unep), Ababu Namwamba, Jubilee Insurance chairman, Zul Abdul and Jubilee Insurance Chief Executive officer, Julius Kipngetich.
Ssekanwagi, who also trains with Team Simbas in Kikuyu, Kiambu County when in Nairobi, described the race as tough especially with the women’s peloton going first.
‘It was somewhat chaotic with women in front of us. We had to weave through carefully and fight for a good position to accelerate and avoid collisions,’ said Ssekanwagi, who battled to catch up with Kagimu, who had broken away in the second of the five-lap race.
Toe-to-toe
‘We went toe-to-toe from inside the third lap and I guess I had reserved some power for the sprint finish,’ said Schleck, who defended his Loop Safari Gravel Series title a month ago.
Ssekanwagi, who has been in the country for the last six years, said it’s all about hard work and ‘knowing what you want to achieve’.
He said they had sacrificed a lot, staying away from home just to train in Kenya.
Ssekanwagi noted that the number of cycling communities in Kenya is growing hence the need for more quality races like the Jubilee Insurance race that attracted over 20 nationalities.
‘My dream is to see the region staging the Tour of East Africa or Tour of Kenya,’ said Schleck.
Kagimu, who represented Uganda at the just concluded UCI World Road Championships in Rwanda, was graceful in defeat.
‘Schleck looked stronger at the home straight. This is what we want when a race draws international entries,’ said Kagimu, who also represented Uganda at the Paris Olympics.
He now turns his focus to the Africa Road Cycling Championships scheduled for November in Kwale, Kenya.
Willy Kato won the Black Mamba race followed by Dominik Mugonda and Ssempiijja Aziz.
Caroline Wanjira won the women’s wheelchair race, edging out Merceline Atieno to second place and Rahel Akoth third.
Grand Nairobi Bike Race
Results
Men
John Schleck Ssekanwagi 1.30.39
Charles Kagimu 1.30.40
John Muchiri 1.33.50
Women
Merhamit Hadush 1.38.25
Mary Aleper 1.46.55
Jamila Abdula 1.47.28