Stage 4
The Soudal-Quickstep youth team had a perfect day on the roads of Stage 4 of Tour du Rwanda 2024 between Karongi and Rubavu on the shores of Lake Kivu.
William Lecerf won the sprint and stormed to victory after covering 93 kilometers from in 2 hours 19 minutes and 22 seconds.
Lecerf’s team-mate Pepijn Reinderink retained the leader's yellow jersey where, after four stages, he leads the standings with 9 hours 23 minutes and 34 seconds after 362.7 kilometers.
Moise Mugisha,of Java Inovotec, is the only Rwandan rider who finished among top 20 in Rubavu. He came 18th in the sprint with stage winner Lecerf and sits 17th in general classification, seven seconds off the summit while Eric Manizabayo emerged 21st and trails 57 seconds behind the yellow jersey holder.
The Karongi-Rubavu stage was short, but it included a 3,000 metre climb that could have worried the peloton.
Chris Froome of Israel Premier Tech tried his luck at the very start of the stage, but it didn't work out in his favour as he was quickly caught by the peloton.
Frenchman Pierre Latour of TotalEnergies then attacked, breaking away after 20 kilometres and staying at the front of the race for almost 40 kilometres with a lead that never exceeded 2 minutes.
With 30 kilometres to go, it was another Frenchman, Brieuc Rolland, who attacked,
The young rider, who plays for Groupama-FDJ, remained alone at the front until 2 kilometres from the finish before the first part of the peloton came back on him to launch the sprint.
Soudal-Quickstep were the strongest to prepare for the victory of young Lecerf ahead of Stage Three winner Jhonatan Restrepo of the Polti-Kometa and Frenchman Julien Simon of TotalEnergies.
Dutchman Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal-Quickstep will wear the yellow jersey again on Thursday, February 21, in the 13-kilometre uphill individual Time Trial Stage Five between Musanze and Kinigi.