Colombian Jhonatan has consolidated his collection of victories on the roads of the Tour du Rwanda, adding a seventh win to his collection.
He began his collection in 2020 by winning for the first time on this same finish in Rusizi, followed by three more victorious sprints the same year, then two more in 2021 and 2022. Absent last year because his team did not have the required level to receive an invitation, he did not miss the opportunity to shine again in Rusizi.
At 29, the Colombian is the record holder for stage wins in Rwanda, which suits him perfectly. Of his nine victories, seven have come in this event.
This third stage began once again with a long breakaway featuring five African riders, including two Rwandans: Yoel Habteab (Eritrea) of Bike Aid, Shafik Mugalu (Uganda) of May Stars, Dillon Geary (South Africa), Didier Munyaneza (Rwanda) and Etienne Tuyizere (Rwanda) of Java-Inovotec. Didier Munyaneza was soon handicapped by a puncture, but the breakaway riders had a maximum lead of more than four minutes.
The yellow jersey himself, Itamar Einhorn (Israel-Premier Tech), tried to catch the five breakaways, but the peloton of favourites reacted quickly on the final climb, with the Soudal-Quickstep and TotalEnergies riders making an initial selection.
Although Belgian team leader William Le Cerf attacked in the final as did Frenchman Pierre Latour, in the end the first part of the peloton with around twenty riders came back on the long descent to Rusizi for a hotly contested sprint.
Jhonatan Restrepo, who knew the course inside out, took victory, while the young Dutchman from the Soudal-Quickstep team, Pepijn Reinderink, became the new yellow jersey, replacing the Israeli Itamar Einhorn, who had finished a long way back at almost eight minutes.
Tomorrow the riders will follow Lake Kivu from Karongi to Rubavu for 92 kilometres of racing and 2030 metres of ascent.
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