Tour du Rwanda 2025 starts this Sunday, February 23, with a 3.4 km prologue around Amahoro Stadium in Kigali where Premier Tech Cycling team has vowed to challenge for the “top positions.” The race, arguably the most important event on the African calendar classified in category 2.1 by the UCI, will run through eight days until Sunday March 2. Joseph Blackmore was with the Israeli team when he won Tour du Rwanda 2024. The team is back to the country of thousand hills without the British rider, but the objective hasn’t changed. “It’s not just about the success we’ve found on the roads of this breathtaking country over the years – it’s about the unbreakable bond between us and the people of Rwanda,” the team statement released on Saturday reads in part. That connection is embodied in the Field of Dreams cycling center, which we proudly built to support and inspire the next generation of Rwandan cyclists. For the 2025 edition, they have big names like German Moritz Kretschy and Israeli power man Itamar Einhorn who can make the thrilling sprint. Einhorn is hungry for more success. He knows the challenge ahead —thousands of meters of climbing each day just for a chance to sprint. But if the opportunities arise, Stages One, Two, and Four could be his moments to shine. “The expectations from the team and myself to perform well in Rwanda will definitely bring significant pressure. But I know myself well — when the race starts, I become fully focused on the task at hand. It’s not just about me; the entire team must be ready to take the initiative. Our rivals will challenge us to the max, and we need to rise to the occasion,” he said. Einhorn and Kretschy have become familiar names with Tour du Rwanda since Israel Premier Tech started racing in the country of 1000 Hills. Kretschy, who has taken a big step forward in the past year, is now back leading the charge for the team. “I’m very excited to be back in Rwanda,” said Kretschy. “Last year was such a great experience, so I’m really looking forward to race there again. My personal goal for this year is to finish at least top 5 but actually top 3 in general classification and finishing at least one stage on the podium.” “We are coming with a pretty strong team, so there is every day a realistic chance to win the race. Hopefully we can achieve as much victory as possible. We were very successful last year, so for sure we will try to perform at least as last year.” “Being a leader in 2025 is a completely new role for me at this team, but I hope with my experience from last year and my current good shape, I can live up to expectations.” Israel Premier Tech roster at Tour du Rwanda 2025 Riders: Itamar Einhorn (Israel), Rotem Tene (Israel), Moritz Kretschy (Germany), Brady Gilmore (Australia), Samuel Coleman (Ireland) Sports Directors: Rubén Plaza (Spain), Lahav Davidzon (Israel) Among the headliners at the start, the most eagerly awaited will certainly be Eritrea's Henok Mulubrhan, final winner of the race in 2023. The Astana team rider is the reigning African champion and will be present with his Eritrean national team. The grand finale in a week's time on Sunday will already offer a preview of the World Championships to be held in Kigali next September, as the peloton will race the UCI test event, the dress rehearsal, on the same course during the 7th and final stage of this Tour du Rwanda.
