Sunday
Stage 8: Kigali-Kigali 82.2km
1. Azzedine Lagab (GSP Algerie) 02h06’20”
2. David Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk) 02h06’20”
3. Didier Munyaneza (Team Rwanda) 02h06’20”
4. Moise Mugisha (Les Amis Sportifs) 02h06’20”
5. Simon Bellabouvier (Team Haute Savoie Rhone-Alpes) 02h06’20”
General Classification
1. Samuel Mugisha (Team Rwanda) 24h26’53”
2. Jean Cluade Uwizeye (POC Cote Lumiere) 24h27’14”
3. Mulu Hailemicheal (Ethiopia) 24h27’57”
4. Azzedine Lagab (GSP Algerie) 24h28’13”
5. David Riba Lozano (Team Novo Nordisk) 24h28’20”
At the age of 20 years and 250 days, Samuel Mugisha has entered into the history books as the youngest rider to win the highly coveted UCI Africa Tour race -- Tour du Rwanda.
The Team Rwanda rider who was racing his third Tour du Rwanda since the 2016 debut, was crowned the champion for the 10th edition that concluded Sunday afternoon in Kigali.
Mugisha who plies his trade with South Africa’s UCI Continental Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka becomes the fourth Rwandan to win Tour du Rwanda in five consecutive years since Valens Ndayisenga’s historic feat in 2014.
The former Club Benediction’s rider Mugisha won this year’s 10th edition and final edition organized under the 2.2 category after covering the 953.2km distance of the 8-stage race in 24 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds.
The 2016 King of the Mountains rider beat his closest contender and compatriot Jean Claude Uwizeye by 21 seconds after the latter posted 24h27’14” while Ethiopian debutant Mulu Hailemicheal finished in the third place clocking 25h27’57”, one minute and four seconds behind.
"I am overwhelmed, I don’t know how I can describe this moment, but I have to digest it,” a visibly excited Migisha revealed
"Thanks to everyone who has been behind us since day one, I had a good team with Team Rwanda they worked for me honestly, I also had good races in Italy before I came with Dimension Data and I think it also helped me so much to win here, "he further added
Mugisha entered this year’s tour just three weeks after scooping the King of the Mountains jersey at the 55th edition of Giro della Valle d’Aosta race in Italy.
"This is a motivation in my career, I want to forget this feat from today and start working hard for the future because this is not my dream target,” he stressed
Algerian veteran rider Azzedine Lagab won the final dramatic 82.2km stage around Kigali beating a field of other four riders in a sprint photo finish all posting02h06’20”.
On top of the General Classification award, Mugisha also scooped other three awards including the best young rider, best African rider and best Rwandan rider.
Timothy Rugg of Team Embrace the World was the Tour’s most aggressive rider while Ethiopian Mulu Hailemicheal was awarded the King of the Mountains with Bruno Araujo from Angola’s Bai-Sicasal-Petro de Luanda winning the best intermediate sprint award.
Uwizeye’s and Ndayisenga’s POC Cote Lumiere was the Tour’s overall best team.
By winning Tour du Rwanda, Mugisha walked away with U$D 2,000 plus US$700 for Stage 2 victory, US$300 for best young rider, US$300 for best African and US$300 for best Rwandan.
Meanwhile the next edition of Tour du Rwanda that will staged under the 2.1 category will be hosted from February 24 to March 3, 2019.
Awards List.
Overall winner: Samuel Mugisha awarded by MINISPOC
Best team: POC Cote Lumiere awarded by Inyange industries ltd
Best Rwandan rider: Samuel Mugisha awarded by Rwanda Development Board (RDB)
Best African: Samuel Mugisha awarded by Rwandair
Most Aggressive rider: Timothy Rugg (Team Embrace the World) awarded by Rwanda tea
Best young rider: Samuel Mugisha awarded by Prime Insurance ltd
Best intermediate sprinter: Bruno Araujo (Bai-Sicasal-Petro de Luanda) awarded by SP Petrol Station
King of the Mountains: Mulu Hailemicheal (Ethiopia) awarded by Cogebaque