The Tour du Rwanda has been going from strength to strength in recent years and the 2019 edition was the biggest yet. In its new February timeslot (formerly August), the eight-stage race was promoted from UCI 2.2 to UCI 2.1 classification this year, and even attracted a WorldTour team to the startlist — Astana.
Astana went on to win the race overall, courtesy of Eritrean Merhawi Kudus, but there’s more to the Tour du Rwanda than a simple breakdown of who won what. This is a race with real soul. A race that attracts crowds as big and passionate as you’ll see anywhere on the planet.
That’s no mean feat — Rwanda is a long way from cycling’s European heartland and Rwanda is far from a cycling superpower. But Rwandans seem to love their cycling and they have great pride for their national tour. And fair enough — it’s a stunningly beautiful race. But don’t take our word for it — check out the photos below, courtesy of the race organisation.
Follow the link to results from the 2019 Tour du Rwanda, over at ProCyclingStats.
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- Astana took responsibility for the race early on.
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- Italian Alessandro Fedeli won stage 1 from a bunch sprint.
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- American Timothy Rugg is always a recognisable face at the Tour du Rwanda. He’s a three-time stage winner at the event.
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- Astana’s Merhawi Kudus took a solo win on stage 2, moving into the overall lead.
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- Kudus and Matteo Badilatti got away late towards the end of stage 3.
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- Kudus took his second consecutive stage win, extending his overall lead.
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- That’s a hell of an aero tuck.
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- Stage 4 went the way of Edwin Avila, just ahead of Pablo Torres.
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- Missed!
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- Stage 5 was decided from the break with Eritrea’s Biniyam Ghirmay taking the win.
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- Przemyslaw Kasperkiewicz won stage 6.
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- Notice the bunny-hop to avoid potholes.
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- Yakob Debesay took a solo win on stage 7, giving Eritrea its fourth win for the tour.
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- The Wall of Kigali has become a famous feature of the Tour du Rwanda’s final stage.
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- Rodrigo Contreras took a big solo win on the final stage, winning by more than a minute.
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- Kudus was next across the line in second, securing his overall victory.
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- Merhawi Kudus, winner of the 2019 Tour du Rwanda. He’s the first non-Rwandan rider to win the Tour since 2013.
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