photo credits and excerpts @ Tour du Rwanda
Valens Ndayisenga (Dimension Data) claimed the second overall stage race victory of his career by winning the Tour du Rwanda on Sunday in Kigali.
Valens overall lead went unchallenged in the final stage, with the 22-year-old rider becoming the first rider to win the race twice since it was sanctioned by the UCI.
After winning the penultimate stage yesterday, the 2014 Tour du Rwanda winner finished third in the final stage behind stage winner and African reigning road champion Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea). Valens’s teammate Eyob Metkel finished third in the final stage and second overall.
“I am very happy to win the race for the second time.This was the toughest of all editions I have competed in.I also want to thank all my teammates at Dimension Data for the incredible work they have done for me.I couldn’t win it without they support’, said Valens.
Records numbers of people turned out to watch this year’s race with thousands of people will lining the streets of Rwanda every for a week. Record-breaking crowds have attracted the attention of some of the WorldTour professionals with Cannondale-Drapac’s Toms Skujins saying that he has added it to his ’bucket list’ of races.
“I was really impressed by the crowds this year. I know Rwandans love cycling and always come in big numbers but this year was exceptional.I have never seen anything like this before”, said Valens.
Stage results
1 OKUBAMARIAM Tesfom Eritrea 7 2:43:21 2 EYOB Metkel Dimension Data for Qhubeka 3 ,, 3 NDAYISENGA Valens Dimension Data for Qhubeka 1 0:03 4 GEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel Dimension Data for Qhubeka 0:19 5 AFEWERKI Elyas Eritrea ,, 6 RUGG Timothy Lowestrates.ca 0:41 7 ARERUYA Joseph Club Les Amis Sportifs De Rwamagana 0:54 8 GOLDSTEIN Omer Cycling Academy Team ,, 9 BUSSARD Dimitri Suisse Meubles Descartes 0:58 10 PAROZ Justin Suisse Meubles Descartes ,,
General classification
1 NDAYISENGA Valens Dimension Data for Qhubeka 21:15:21 2 EYOB Metkel Dimension Data for Qhubeka 0:39 3 OKUBAMARIAM Tesfom Eritrea 1:30 4 ARERUYA Joseph Club Les Amis Sportifs De Rwamagana 2:52 5 GEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel Dimension Data for Qhubeka 4:05 6 HAYLAY Kbrom Ethiopia 4:13 7 BURU Temesgen Ethiopia 4:47 8 BUSSARD Dimitri Suisse Meubles Descartes 5:03 9 NSENGIMANA Jean Bosco Stradalli – Bike Aid ,, 10 KANGANGI Suleiman Kenyan Riders Downunder 5:24
JERSEYS
1 GENERAL CLASSEMENT, sponsored by MINISPOC : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka) 2 STAGE WINNER, sponsored by SKOL : Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea – National Team of Eritrea) 3 BEST CLIMBER, sponsored by COGEBANK : Samuel Mugisha (Rwanda – Benediction Club) 4 BEST YOUNG RIDER sponsored by SORAS : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka) 5 BEST AFRICAN sponsored by RWANDAIR : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka) 6 BEST RWANDAN sponsorised by RDB : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
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