Cycling World Championships Legacy VPC Programs Expand Across Africa
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Tablets
Cassettes & Chains
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Heart Rate Monitors
Pedals
Road Bicycles
With the first Road World Cycling Championships to be held in Africa now over, it is crucial that the continued growth of road cycling across the continent is the legacy of this event. Team Africa Rising (TAR) is leading a new chapter in African cycling.
In 2019, as the global COVID-19 pandemic took hold, something curious happened. The cycling playing field suddenly levelled. No one could travel. The adoption of virtual training and racing started to spread globally.
With the help of TAR and our strong connections with Zwift and Wahoo, virtual training equipment arrived across the continent, and flags from throughout Africa began to appear in Zwift races. Early adopters included Masaka Cycling Club (Uganda), Lunsar Cycling (Sierra Leone), Goma Cycling (DR Congo) and the Benin Cycling Federation. TAR is working closely with more locations due to open in 2026.
We will also be looking to host group training sessions, grouped in categories by power (W/Kg), not gender, as well as events for all virtual riders from Africa and beyond. Some African racing plans are being formulated in late 2025 and will hopefully be announced in early 2026 as well. Watch this space!
Masaka Cycling Club -- Uganda
Masaka Cycling Club is the OG of the African virtual explosion. When TAR began to investigate the burgeoning growth of online training and racing, we reached out to MCC. Founder, Ross Burrage at Masaka Cycling Club in Uganda saw an opportunity:
“Virtual racing has been a game changer for us. Zwift has supported our program for over five years. Our coaches can fast-track the knowledge transfer through the platform. Cadence, efficiency, timing, positioning, preparation, training and team ethos can be learnt and transferable out on to the road, and it is safe. Our roads can become dangerous. Masaka’s presence in the Top 30 virtual teams globally is also reward for effort for riders. We have become a fascination to the global cycling community because of virtual racing.”
Masaka Cycling Club is producing the highest number of talented cyclists in the country. Two women currently race on UCI Continental Teams and one, a new U23 cyclist, Miria, performed admirably at the recent UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.
Learn more about Masaka HERE.
Follow them on IG HERE.
Follow them on YouTube HERE.
Goma Cycling Club -- DRC
The DRC has been in conflict long before Team Africa Rising started working in Rwanda in 2007. It’s messy and complicated and will likely remain so. However, Jimmy Muhindo, a young Congolese cyclist from the DRC, is working to highlight cycling prospects in his besieged city.
TAR first met Jimmy when he was a teenager; he would ride his bike from Goma (near the border with Gisenyi) to attend training camps at the Africa Rising Cycling Center in Musanze, Rwanda. He was a strong cyclist. He competed for his national team several times, with most of his notable results before COVID-19.
Already isolated due to political instability, COVID-19 worsened the situation. Thanks to Jimmy’s persistence and dedication to the next generation of cyclists, he has built strong relationships with supporters of his efforts. TAR knew he would make an excellent host for a VPC in Goma.
And then the war came right to his doorstep.
Smart trainers became the only option for riding while the war raged outside their homes. They couldn’t leave for safety reasons, making the VPC crucial for the development of young cyclists. Today, kids from all over Goma ride virtually and safely, hoping to translate that success someday beyond the confines of their VPC.
Lunsar Cycling -- Sierra Leone
Lunsar Cycling Club, the group behind the iconic Tour du Lunsar, embraced the virtual platform as an early adopter. This group faces equally challenging obstacles. There is no electrical grid in Lunsar, so training and racing are run via solar power or generators, the latter being a costly expense. Internet access is also limited, and finding bikes that fit all the young participants is another challenge.
Lunsar does not lack eager participants! Kids not only come to race but also to cheer for their favorite riders. It’s all part of the experience, which benefits all the young people. The VPC serves as their outlet and safe space.
Thanks to the efforts of those behind the Sierra Leone Cycling Foundation, the world of professional cycling is making its way to this country.
To learn more about Sierra Leone Cycling Foundation and Lunsar Cycling, click HERE.
Benin Cycling Federation -- Porto Novo
Team Africa Rising began work in Benin in late 2019, but activities were halted in spring 2020 due to Covid-19. TAR adapted by following the Masaka Cycling Club's model and helped Benin adopt the virtual technology platform.
In January 2021, TAR CEO Kimberly Coats traveled to Porto Novo, Benin, to start setting up the VPC. By early 2022, the Benin National Team had fully embraced the platform and rented a new team house to expand.
In 2025, the program expanded further with the construction of a newly built VPC clubhouse. To date, the Benin Federation has the most smart trainers among all African Cycling Federations. It continues to add to its inventory, which is now distributed across the country at satellite centers staffed by trained coaches and facilitators.
Recently one of the young junior women who came up via the VPC signed a professional cycling contract, the first in Benin's history.
You can learn more about the Benin Cycling Federation HERE.
Java Inovotec -- Rwanda
Ngarama Women’s Cycling Team and Java-Inovotec are the latest additions to the VPC network. Pascal Ndizeye, founder of the Rwandan Club and UCI Men’s Continental Team, reached out to TAR in August for help setting up a virtual training program.
Java-Inovotec’s focus is on using bicycles to keep children in school, mainly young girls. Java-Inovotec is currently the only VPC program in Rwanda, making it a leader in cyclist development.
Recently, at a local race in Rwanda, Donatha Akimana, a young girl from his program and a junior, won the event. She has been an early participant in the VPC program. You can learn more and follow this innovative organization on their Instagram HERE.
New VPCs Coming Soon!
Team Africa Rising is busy working on providing training and expertise to the following countries over the next 3-4 months:
- Ghana -- Isaac Sackey Solomon, a former National Team Cyclist and owner of Cycling Academy GH, committed to getting young people on bikes
- Zambia -- Nora Richards, founder of an all women's mountain bike team in Zambia in 2019, looking to launch a new team for the 2026 season.
- Tanzania -- Richard Laizer, a former Tanzanian professional cyclist with BikeAid, and his partner, Brett Harrison of Red Knot Development, are launching Tanzania's first VPC with 12 trainers focused on young Tanzanian boys and girls.
Algeria – The Madar Pro Cycling Team moved to the UCI Continental level in 2024 and in 2025 were Africa’s #1 professional team. They have an in-depth training programme for young male and female riders which is integrated with the Algerian Cycling Federation with whom we will work to launch a VPC.