ON his Tour du Rwanda debut, 18-year-old Samuel Mugisha is on track to win the overall best climber at this year’s race after collecting 49 points in past three stages.

The Rubavu-born youngster from Benediction Club made an early two-man break together with Frenchman Sébastien Fournet-Fayard of Team Haute-Savoie, but was overtaken by a 22-man peloton in the last kilometer.

"I will continue to fight for the best climber jersey, I have done well since the start and I believe I can keep the pace in the last three stages,” Mugisha told Times Sport after collecting the best climber jersey in stage 4 from Rusizi to Huye, a distance of 140.7km on Thursday. He finished in 23rd position

In the general classification, Mugisha is in 26th place after using a total of 13h8’23’’, he is 13’47’’ behind the race leader Valens Ndayisenga.

Mugisha leads the race for best climber award with 49 points, ahead of Fournet Fayard Sébastien, who has 14 points, Timothy Rugg, 8 points while last year’s best climber, Eyob Metkel has 7 points.

Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s Ndayisenga leads the overall standings with 12h54’36’’, followed by Les Amis Sportifs de Rwamagana’s Joseph Areruya.

Meanwhile, riders who have abandoned the race include Mehari Kibrom and Solomon Zemenfes (both Eritrea National Team), Pierre-Meric (Haute-Savoie/Rhone-Alpes – and Keeping Stephen (Team Lowestrates.Ca).

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