General Classification
1. Henok Mulueberhan 26h55’09”
2. Walter Calzoni 26h55’09”
3. William Junior Lecerf +1”
4. Anatolli Budiak +3”
5. Victor de la Parte +4”
6. Eric Muhoza +8”
Tour du Rwanda 2023’s last stage, with the summit finish in front of Canal Olympia, will once again offer a magnificent suspense.
The weeklong race, which began February 19, produced mixed fortunes and spectacular moments that will go down among the best that the cycling audience has ever witnessed in years.
From unwanted abandons, solo sprints, yellow jersey drama and incredible support from millions of residents cheering on riders from streets across the country, Tour du Rwanda 2023 has been nothing but a completely breathtaking cycling affair.
The only thing that nobody knows is who is going to win the race with at least seven riders ready chase the yellow jersey till the last minute. Only Sunday’s final stage will decide the winner.
The general classification has been changing stage after stage, with Eritrean Henok Mulueberhan, from the Green Project-Bardiani team, taking the yellow jersey on Saturday three days after he lost it to French rider Thomas Bonnet.
ALSO READ: Tarozzi wins stage 7 as Mulueberhane edges closer to Tour du Rwanda triumph
His advantage is, however, gives him no guarantee enough to start celebrating Tour du Rwanda victory before Sunday’s decisive stage.
The Eritrean has, as per the general classification, now used the same time as Italian rider Walter Calzoni of the Q36.5 team while Belgian William Junior Lecerf lags behind on third place by just one second.
There are only eight seconds separating the yellow jersey from the 6th ranked Rwandan rider Eric Muhoza from the Bike Aid team. The 21-year-old will need to pull some magic on Sunday to keep the jersey at home and hence end foreign riders’ dominance at Tour du Rwanda since the race was sanctioned to 2.1 on UCI Africa Tour.
Muhoza’s impressive track record and status as one of the frontrunners for the general classification within the peloton have solidified his standing as a crowd favourite after finishing the stage seventh by decreasing the gap to the top by eight seconds up from 11 on Friday.
His performance came as no surprise. On home soil, he had proven himself throughout the tour and his performance has only been getting better. Probably that is why he still believes that it’s not over yet.
"I thank the team and my teammates, I appreciate the effort they are making to get me here where I am now. We will keep fighting until the end to win the Tour du Rwanda," he said.
Stage 8 Kigali-Kigali (75.3km)
KM 0: Camp Zaïre
Kanogo - Rugunga - SEGEM - Gikondo kwa Mironko - Merez 1 - Merez 2 - Umuhanda w'amabuye
Circuit
(Rond point Rebero - Miduha - LP - Kuri Tapis - Kwa Gisimba - Nyakabanda - Kwa Mutwe - Mosqué Majengo - ONATRACOM - Gitega - Gereza - Yamaha - Kinamba - Poids Lourds - Kanogo ) (*3 laps to do)
Rugunga - SEGEM - Gikondo kwa Mironko - Merez 1 - Merez 2 - Umuhanda w'amabuye - Rond point Rebero - Canal Olympia, Rebero