Karongi 15 November 2016 – Valens Ndayisenga took advantage today of first difficult stage with six climbs to take the lead. The final winner of the 2014 edition has found his smile in front of his public which was always more numerous on the roadside. He waited the last few kilometers to attack in the descent towards Karongi on the shores of Lake Kivu.
The leader of Dimension Data for Qhubeka, the Development Team of the famous Mark Cavendish’sWorld Tour team, played with the nerves of his rivals who had already been busy in the final climb 35 kilometers before the finish when the peloton hadn’t been able to follow the ten riders who had accelerated the pace.
Valens Ndayisenga, who was in fourth place overall, seized the yellow jersey leader ahead of two other Rwandans Joseph Areruya and Jean-Bosco Nsengimana the winner of the 2015 edition, with more than a minute lead.
THE WINNER
Valens Ndayisenga want to end on a high note his first professional season with the South Africans of Dimension Data. After winning the African continental title of the U23 time trial at the beginning of the year, he discovered the events in Europe on difficult events reserved for young riders, such as Trofeo Beato Bernardo or Piccolo Giro di Lombardia in Italy or the Tour d’Alsace in France where he achieved promising performances.
When he returned to the Tour of Rwanda this year, he had in mind to take revenge on the fate that had prevented him from defending his title in 2015. “I wanted to prove that I still had the qualities to win here, he said after the arrival. I had been sick last year and had to give up after five days. I was really frustrated but I fought to get back to my best level this year. ”
GENERAL CLASSEMENT
1 – Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
2 – Joseph Areruya (Rwanda – Les Amis Sportifs) at 1’25’’
3 – Jean-Bosco Nsengimana (Rwanda – Stradalli-Bike Aid) at 1’26’’
4 – Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea– Equipe Nationale Erythrée) at 1’32’’
4 – Metkel Eyob (Eritrea – Dimension Data for Qhubeka) at 1’37’’
JERSEYS
GENERAL CLASSEMENT, sponsorised by MINISPOC : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
STAGE WINNER, sponsorised by SKOL : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
BEST CLIMBER, sponsorised by COGEBANK : Samuel Mugisha (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
BEST YOUNG RIDER sponsorised by SORAS : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
BEST AFRICAN sponsorised by RWANDAIR : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
BEST RWANDAN sponsorised by RDB : Valens Ndayisenga (Rwanda – Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
Panorama
