Kenyan Under-23 national cycling champion Ivan Kipruto will be banking on the valuable experience gained from Eldoret and Diani as he bids to conquer the continent and clinch a golden triumph in Sunday's men's U23 road race 175.2km at the CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu.
Kipruto, who has steadily climbed the ranks at the continental showpiece, will be making his third appearance at the championships, having featured in the first edition hosted by Kenya in Eldoret in 2024 before returning for last year's edition in Diani.
At the 2024 championships in Eldoret, the youngster finished 64th before improving to 40th in Diani.
With the experience of two previous continental campaigns under his belt, the 20-year-old is now setting his sights on breaking into the medal bracket in Kisumu.
"This will be my third time racing at the African championships. I have been slowly getting experience and I think this is my chance now to strike for gold," Kipruto said.
The Kenyan youngster believes his previous outings have taught him valuable lessons about race positioning, pack dynamics and tactical awareness, elements he considers crucial in a fiercely contested road race.
"At the African championships the most important thing is to learn how to position yourself."
"You need to be at the front of the pack in all laps because once you find yourself at the back, you will put more effort sprinting which drains you."
He also heads into Sunday's showdown buoyed by his physical condition, insisting that his preparations have put him in a strong position to challenge for the top honours.
"I feel my fitness is good now and I am more than ready for the competition."
One of the biggest motivational factors driving Kipruto's quest for continental glory is the national U23 title he secured earlier this year, a victory that has placed him firmly in the spotlight as one of Kenya's riders to watch in Kisumu.
Kipruto claimed the men's U23 national 110km road race title at the national championships staged in Kericho on June 21, clocking an impressive 2:45:29 to emerge victorious.
"Coming here as the Kenyan national champion, all Kenyan riders will be looking up to me so I have the morale to strive for my best," he said.
However, the road to gold will be far from straightforward, with the championships bringing together some of the continent's strongest cycling nations, including Eritrea, South Africa and Ethiopia, all expected to mount a serious challenge in the U23 category.
The three countries have established themselves as formidable forces in African cycling.
Nevertheless, the Kenyan is refusing to be intimidated by the reputations of his rivals, drawing confidence from having competed against riders from those countries on European racing circuits this season.
"We have raced with them in European races and at the moment I think my level and their level are somehow the same now."
"The only difference may be their strategy which can differ to mine," he said.
Kipruto's international exposure has been built through demanding gravel races across Europe.
"I have done alot of gravel races in Spain, France and Monaco."
He launched his 2026 campaign at the UCI Gravel World Series - Castellón Gravel Race in Spain, tackling a demanding 97km course to finish 38th overall.
He subsequently lined up for the UCI Gravel World Series – Monaco Gravel Race on April 19, taking on a gruelling 120km assignment to finish 34th overall.
Although gravel racing differs from conventional road racing in terms of terrain and race dynamics, the demanding distances have offered Kipruto an opportunity to build endurance and sharpen his tactical awareness.
In preparation for the continental challenge in Kisumu, Kipruto has put in long hours on the saddle, with his training programme designed to build the stamina required to remain competitive over the demanding race distance.
"I have been doing 180km long ride, mostly I did 130km or 140, but for endurance I did 180km. I also did 200km sometimes which is around six hours," he said.
Despite his confidence, Kipruto expects the Kisumu course to present a different tactical examination from the routes he encountered in Eldoret and Diani, particularly because of its sharper bends and corners.
"This Kisumu course will be faster unlike in Eldoret and Diani. However it will present a challenge because of the sharp corners."
Kipruto, however, is confident that Kenya's preparations have placed the home team in a strong position to take advantage of familiar surroundings.
"But as team Kenya we are more than ready because we spent a whole week here training on the course," he said.
Beyond the technical demands of the route, the weather in Kisumu has also offered the Kenyan riders a welcome boost compared with the conditions they experienced during last year's championships in Diani.
"The weather here is also better than in Diani. So that will turn out favorable for us."
He also believes Kenya's opportunity to host the championships has provided a significant boost to the country's medal ambitions, allowing the national federation to field a larger contingent than it might have managed had the competition been staged abroad.
"Hosting the championships means Kenya can present a bigger team which in turn means I will have a larger number of teammates."
"If we had gone to another country for the African championships we would not have had such a big contingent. The large number offers a good chance for Kenyan's to chase medals," Kipruto noted.
