The 27-year old German edged South African Julius Jadye at the line in a tightly fought sprint photo finish.
Today
Stage 6: Rubavu – Kinigi (108.5km)
Thursday
Stage 5: Karongi – Rubavu (95.1km)
Top five
1. Julian Hellmann (Team Embrace the World) 02h27’34”
2. Julius Jayde (South Africa) 02h27’34”
3. David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk) 02h27’36”
4. Didier Munyaneza (Team Rwanda) 02h27’37”
5. Jean Claude Uwizeye (POC Cote Lumiere) 02h27’37”
General Classification – top five
1. Samuel Mugisha (Team Rwanda) 16h35’30”
2. Jean Claude Uwizeye (POC Cote Lumiere) 16h35’51”
3. Mulu Hailemicheal (Ethiopia) 16h35’54”
4. David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk) 16h37’20”
5. Jonas Doring (Team Descartes Romandie) 16h37’43”
Following his second stage win at the ongoing 10th edition of Tour du Rwanda, Julian Hellmann has confessed he will always remember the historic Stage 5 victory for the rest of his career.
The 27-year German rider, medical doctor in the making, displayed his sprint firepower for the second time in Tour du Rwanda Thursday as he powered to victory in the 5th stage from Karongi to Rubavu – riding the 95.1 kilometers in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 34 seconds.
Hellmann edged South African Julius Jadye at the line in a tightly fought sprint photo finish.
David Lozano of USA’s Team Novo Nordisk finished third, just two seconds behind the two riders, Team Rwanda’s Didier Munyaneza (2:27:37) was fourth while compatriot Jean Claude Uwizeye, who also used the same time, finished in fifth position.
On Tuesday, Tour du Rwanda debutant, Hellmann, claimed the rolling 199.7-kilometer stage from Huye to Musanze, the longest stage this year – and the longest in Tour du Rwanda history since the race got affiliated to UCI Africa Tour in 2009.
The sprint specialist clocked 5 hours, 11 minutes and 4 seconds to become the first German cyclist to win a stage in Tour du Rwanda.
"I was lucky, I didn’t really think the day belonged today. Like Tuesday (in Stage 3), I thought someone was going to follow me, but when I saw that nobody was in my wheel, I continued my efforts to the end. It's amazing for me to win in this way, it is a great job that I can never forget,” Hellmann said after his stage win yesterday.
"It’s unbelievable, I didn’t feel well. I had so much pain today but I just continued and continued to push because my team worked so hard for me. I am so happy and so glad that I could win the second stage (for me) and the third for the team at Tour du Rwanda 2018. We just want say thank you for the neat organization, and for everything,” he further added.
On Wednesday, his teammate Timothy Rugg won Stage 4 from Musanze to Karongi, a 135.8-kilometer ride in 3 hours, 31 minutes and 25 seconds.
Meanwhile, action continues today with Stage 6 as riders race 108.5 kilometers from Rubavu town to famous Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi.
Today’s race will be followed by Stage 7 on Saturday as the peloton makes way back to the capital from Musanze before Sunday’s circuit Stage 8 (final stage) of the UCI Africa Tour race.