Eritrean cyclist Henok Mulubrhan who rides for Italian team Bardiani CSF is the Champion of Tour du Rwanda 2023 after winning the last stage of the tour at Canal Olympia Rebero.
The 2022 Africa Champion waited until the last 100 meters to launch an attack and beat the closest rivals in a narrow sprint to win the stage and subsequently the ultimate prize, the Visit Rwanda Yellow Jersey which he was handed over by the President of Rwanda, H.E Paul Kagame.
It wasn’t a smooth ride for Mulubrhan. On his way to winning the Winning this year’s race, he crashed in Stage 3 which he surprisingly won and momentarily took up Yellow Jersey before being dethroned on Stage 4 in Karongi.
“The race was really hard from the start; the sprints and the climbs. My teammates told me to follow closely any GC rider in the race and try to attack towards the finish line.” Mulubrhan said after the race.
On the Seventh and penultimate Stage, Mulubrhan took back the coveted jersey and kept it to the end.
"I came here to try to win a stage and GC. This was my plan since December in our team camp when my Team decided to participate in Tour du Rwanda. To win this Yellow Jersey and to win two stages for me is incredible. and I thank the team and my teammates, I appreciate my team and the staff who treat me nice,” the 22-year-old Eritrean added.
This is redemption as they come. Mulubrhan finished 5th in GC in 2022 and at that time he vowed to return to Kigali and win the biggest prize. He did it in the most difficult but beautiful way possible.
In 2022, Mulubrhan encountered a career-threatening back injury. But he recovered in time to race in African Championship earlier in February in Ghana before coming to Kigali to complete a double in just one month.
Of all the local lads, Eric Muhoza who rides for the German outfit Team Bike Aid finished in the 14th position on General Classification after losing ground on the leading group in the final climb to Canal Olympia at the summit of Rebero.
Tour du Rwanda 2023, stage 8 photos
General classification
1. MULUEBERHAN Henok (GBF) 28h58’01’’
2. CALZONI Walter (Q36) 28h58’01’’
3. LECERF William (SQD) 28h58’02’’
4. DE LA PARTE Victor (TEN) 28h58’05’’
5. MAIN Kent (RSA) 28h58’34’’
