After coming close on multiple occasions through the week, Henok Mulubrhan (Eritrea) finally took the stage win on the final day of the Tour du Rwanda, winning a thrilling uphill sprint in Kigali.
The short and punchy final stage in Rwanda replicated the circuit from the 2025 World Championships, featuring the cobbled Kimihurura climb and a rise up to the finish line in front of the convention centre.
It was an attacking day all day, with various riders and groups going away, but on the final lap of the 84km race, a group of around 30 came off the Kimihurura climb together.
As the road rose up towards the finish, it was Mauro Cuylits (Lotto-Groupe Wanty) who launched the uphill sprint, and he looked very strong, but with Mulubrhan locked on his wheel, as soon as the Belgian faded the Eritrean was able to come round him and raise his arms in victory.
"I waited for this victory. This week, I really didn't feel good because I hadn't got the victory, as a team also, and we had some bad luck for me this week," Mulubrhan explained at the finish.
"I was really motivated this morning. I already told the team in the morning 'I want to win this stage', we also spoke about it yesterday but I ended up further away, but today for the final stage, [I wanted] to take the victory, my first of 2026."
Finishing in the bunch behind, Moritz Kretschy (NSN Development) sealed the overall victory, capping off a week which saw his NSN team win three stages and the GC.
Normally a WorldTour rider for XDS Astana, Mulubrhan raced for his Eritrean national team this week, and finishes the week as the only African stage winner this year.
Results
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