Title favourite Thomson out of Tour of Rwanda

Jay Robert Thomson, who was until yesterday the overall leader of Tour of Rwanda 2013, has pulled out of the race. The South African, a member of Team MTN-Qhubekha, withdrew from the competition just 11 kilometres into the third leg due to illness. His compatriot and club teammate Louis Meintjes seized the opportunity to win the 69.4km Rubavu-Kinigi stretch (Third Stage) in one hour 52 minutes and 54 seconds. The 21-year old also moved from the second overall best to the number one spot in the international race, effectively taking the Yellow Jersey from Thomson. Meintjes came eight seconds ahead of Eritrean Metkel Eyob, with South Africa national team rider Dylan Girdlestone in third place, 16 seconds behind. Team Karisimbi’s Jean Bosco Nsengiyumva was the best Rwandan performer of the stage, coming in the eighth position after clocking 1h 53’ 09’’. Thomson, 27, admitted he had to listen to his body, which he said wasn’t responding well to the demands of the race. “I don’t feel good; I wanted to continue but my body wasn’t responding well so I have to pull out, I am disappointed,” said Thomson, teammate of Rwandan Adrien Niyonshuti at Team MTN-Qhubeka. On Tuesday, Rwandans claimed two top spots in the second leg (Kayonza-Musanze), with 19-year old Valens Ndayisenga of Team Akagera introducing himself to global cycling enthusiasts in fashion, after winning the 151.9-kilometre Stage Two in four hours six minutes and 44 seconds. He was followed by compatriot and Akagera rider Abraham Ruhumuriza (4h06’44’’). Overall, Nsengiyumva is the highest ranked Rwandan in the race (general classification) going into today’s fourth leg – in sixth position, with a time of 19h19’38’’. He has the White Jersey as the leading Rwandan rider in the Tour. Ndayisenga, who became the youngest Rwandan rider to win any stage in Tour of Rwanda’s history on Tuesday, came in 15th place in a pack of 64 riders yesterday, in a time of 1h53’57’. His teammate Janvier Hadi, who won Sunday’s Prologue, finished 23rd yesterday after crossing the line in 1h54’29” to drop three places to ninth position in the general classification with a time of 9h19’36’’. Today, the riders embark on 128km Musanze-Muhanga leg.

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Title favourite Thomson out of Tour of Rwanda