SA’s Girdlestone wins Tour of Rwanda

FOR the second year running the Tour of Rwanda title heads to South Africa after Dylan Girdlestone of South Africa National Team won the 2013 race which started last weekend and ended yesterday.The 24-year-old Girdlestone, who was 3rd in 2011 and 2nd in 2012, covered the 804km-race in 20h35’55’’ to succeed his compatriot Darren Lil, who won it last year.Girdlestone finished the final stage in fifth place in a time of 2h25’42’’. The final stage started at Amahoro stadium, went around the City of Kigali (97.2km) and back to Amahoro stadium.Algerian Lagab Azzedine won the stage after clocking 2h23’54”, two minutes and 20 seconds ahead of his teammate Chabane Hichem, who came second.Eritrean Aron Debratsion, who rides for Team AS BE CO came third in 2h25’34’’, while Rwanda’s Team MTN-Qhubeka rider Adrien Niyonshuti posted 2h25’42’’ to take the fourth position.It was Lagab’s second stage win after winning stage five; Muhanga-Nyamagabe. He finished tenth overall in a time of 20h43’00”.Team Rwanda Karisimbi’s Jean Bosco Nsengiyumva came in 14th position yesterday to finish sixth overall after clocking 20h40’47’’, two minutes and seven seconds ahead of Niyonshuti, who was Rwanda’s best rider in last year’s tour-after settling for 9th place.For Niyonshuti, another ninth place finish this year was a phenomenon performance for a rider, who was out of action with an illness for several months and the Tour of Rwanda was his first competitive race since his return.The 2013 Tour of Rwanda best climber Eyob Metkel of Team AS BE CO finished in third position in the general classification after clocking 20h38’15”. He was sixth yesterday.His team, AS BE CO won the best team award. Tanzania National Team rider Richard Laizer, who finished the race in 22nd position after posting 20h54’49”, took the Tour’s fair play award.Team MTN-Qhubeka’s Louis Jes Meintjes came 11th yesterday in a time of 2h25’42’’ which was enough to give him second place overall after using a total of 20h37’56’’.Most promising riderTeam Rwanda Akagera’s Valens Ndayisenga took the award (brand new bike) for the most promising rider after finishing in a respectable 11th position overall with a time of 20h43’11’’. He received a bicycle donated by the French Embassy in Kigali.The 19-year-old made history by becoming the youngest Rwandan to win a stage in the Tour of Rwanda when he took stage two, the most grueling stage (151.9km) on this year’s tour, Rwamagana-Musanze on Tuesday.Team Rwanda Kalisimbi rider Janvier Hadi, who won the Prologue (Amahoro stadium-Kimoronko-Amahoro stadium) on the first day, finished the Tour in 12th position with 20h43’21’’.Competitive raceApart from Lagab, who won two stages in the 2013 Tour of Rwanda, the other five stages had different winners. Team MTN-Qhubeka’s Jay Robert Thomson won stage one (Kigali-Kirehe) but was forced to pull out of the Tour due to illness on the third stage (Rubavu-Kinigi), which was won by his teammate Meintjes.Another Team MTN-Qhubeka rider Johann Zyl Van won stage four (Musanze-Muhanga.Despite the Tour of Rwanda title remaining elusive for Rwandans since it became a UCI Africa Tour race five years ago, there has been great improvement by all the 15 Rwandan riders, who represented three teams; Karisimbi, Akagera and Muhabura.

Sports

SA’s Girdlestone wins Tour of Rwanda