Stage Classification

1. Joseph Areruya 4h25’10’’ 14”’2. KOSHEVOY Ilia 4h25’10’’ 6”’3. HOLLER Nikodemus 4h25’19’’ 9’’’4. GAUDIN Damien 4h25’48’’ 38’’’5 MRAOUNI Salaheddine 4h32’52’’ 7’”

General Classification

1. Joseph Areruya (Rwanda) 14h53’21’’ 2. Holler Nikodemus (Bike Aid)14h53’32’”3. GAUDIN Damien (Direct Energie) 14h53’55’’4. Koshevoy Ilia Wilier (Selle Italia) 14h54’41’”5. Jones Brenton Delko (Marseille) 15h01’00’’

Tour du Rwanda champion Joseph Areruya yesterday won the fourth stage of La Tropicale Amissa Bongo of Gabon, arguably Africa’s leading cycling race.

The Rwandan clocked 4h25 minutes and 10 seconds over 182.5km.

As a result, Areruya, 21, took the yellow jersey as he’s now leading the general classification with 14h53’21’’, 11 seconds ahead of Germany’s Bike Aid rider’s Holler Nikodemus, and 34 minutes ahead of Gaudin Damien Direct Energie of France.

It was the 10th Africa victory for Dimension Data for Qhubeka (South Africa) rider.

"It was very difficult but I am happy that I managed to take care of my race. I just kept going without making any calculations, I felt strong today.” Areruya said.

He won the yellow jersey from Australian Brenton Jones.

Areruya, fondly known within Rwanda’s cycling circles as Kimasa (Kinyarwanda for a ‘bull’), is the second Rwandan to win a stage in the Tropicale Amissa Bongo race, after Bonaventure Uwizeyimana’s 2014 exploits.

He also becomes the tenth African to win a stage on the Gabonese test since 2006.

Yesterday’s stage, the longest of the 2018 edition covering 182 kilometers through the equatorial forest, was dreaded by most riders and they knew it was a decisive part of the race.

Areruya had understood this when he had seen the first breakaway leave without him and he had immediately started in pursuit to pick up the group of nine fugitives after 20 kilometer race.

He did not know then that the last return would be the first to arrive in Mitzic nearly 162 kilometers away.

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