South African cyclist Sonica Klopper won the Grand Prix of the President of the Republic on Saturday, capping a week of women’s cycling in Burundi that drew riders from across the continent.
Klopper took the 60-kilometer race, held over a six-lap circuit in Gitega, the capital of Burundi’s central province, according to organizers. Ethiopian rider Fatu Reda, racing for the Kenya-based Amani Project, finished second, with Rwanda’s Claudette Nyirarukundo, also of Amani, in third.
The top three riders earned both medals and cash prizes: 2.5 million Burundian francs for Klopper, 1.5 million francs for Reda and 1 million francs for Nyirarukundo.
Riders from nine countries
The Grand Prix drew cyclists from nine countries — Burundi, Burkina Faso, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire — organizers said.
Klopper, 22, rides for Team Tshenolo Women’s Pro Cycling, according to the cycling database ProCyclingStats. The Grand Prix followed the sixth edition of the Tour Cycliste International Féminin du Burundi, a five-stage race that concluded in Gitega on Aug. 20.
Klopper finished seventh overall in that race, 4 minutes 47 seconds behind winner Ashebir Gebrehiwet Meresiet of Ethiopia, riding for Team Amani. Her tour included a runner-up finish on Stage 4, a 62.6-kilometer leg between Ngozi and Kayanga, where she was beaten by Ethiopia’s Reda Eyerusalem Haftu.
Meresiet’s overall win was followed by Team Tshenolo’s Taneal Otto in second and Amani’s Nyirarukundo in third.
Building toward UCI recognition
The 2026 Tour Cycliste International Féminin du Burundi was classified as a UCI 2.2 event, according to ProCyclingStats, and drew riders from across Africa as well as Kazakhstan.
Bernard Ntagumuka, president of the Burundian Cycling Federation, said the federation intends to ask the Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport’s world governing body, to add the Grand Prix of the President of the Republic to its official international calendar — a move that would require the race to first meet UCI standards.
Phocas Mpezindagano, assistant to the minister responsible for sports, congratulated the federation for organizing both events, saying the participation of foreign riders added value to sport in Burundi.
If the UCI bid succeeds, it would mark another step in Burundi’s push to establish itself as a regular stop on the international women’s cycling calendar, following the growth of the Tour Cycliste International Féminin over its six editions.
