Janse van Rensburg takes victory in Kigali

Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (South Africa) won Wednesday the opening stage of the Tour of Rwanda, Kigali-Kigali, defeating the new African Continental Champion, Daniel Teklehaimanot and the former champion Dan Craven (UCI Continental Center) in a six rider sprint.

The first stage didn't entail big gaps in the general classification but the first battle happened between the two major squads, Eritrea and Morocco, and the experts disagree to say which one took the real advantage: on the 162.8 kilometer stage, Morocco had bad luck and Eritrea did exhausting efforts.

The route to the Eastern part of the country, near the National Park of Akagera, was supposed to be flat, at least the flattest in the Tour of Rwanda, but it took a single way to Kabarondo town and, after a U turn, the riders came back on some electric hills.

2009 Tour of Rwanda winner, Adil Jelloul (Morocco) launched an attack at kilometer 8, sparking the early move. "I've a bit experience and no way the breakaway came out without a rider from our country, so I didn't hesitate a lot to go with him," said Jean De Dieu Uwimana (Rwanda), who was followed by the Zambian Trust Munangandu (UCI Continental Center) and Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (South Africa).

Until the middle of the race the breakaway also included Australian Fabio Calabria (Team Type 1) but he was dropped because he just was restarting his season after a three-week holiday and a three-week training.

The breakaway advantage was 4:20 in the middle of the race but the Eritrea team chased flat out during 90 kilometers. In 15 minutes they were able to close to half a minute and at 18 kilometers to go the breakaway was caught. The Morocco team extended its bad day with a puncture for Abdelati Saadoune at three kilometers from the finish, at the bottom of the last climb.

In the 1.2 kilometer final climb with 11% sections, all the favourites went in front: Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwanda), Dan Craven (UCI Continental Center), Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (South Africa) and two Eritrean, Meron Russom (second in the Africa Champs last weekend) and Teklehaimanot. The last one explained he had a too little gear for the sprint – an 11 teeth – and he couldn't beat the South African, who became naturally the first yellow jersey of the Tour of Rwanda.

Van Rensburg, 21, was delighted to claim his first win outside of his country. "I always was second until today," he smiled. In the Tour of Morocco this year he finished second five times and had the silver medal last week in the U23 African Championships in both the time trial and the road race. Considered as a good sprinter and time trialist, the strengths which help to succeed in his country, he has no idea of his ability to keep the lead tomorrow in the two half-stages in the mountains, with a finish at 2230 meters in the morning.

Jock Boyer, the Rwanda National coach, explained there are not necessarily the queen stages of the race, as the climbs are long but the gradient around 4 or 5%. The route could be interesting for his rider Niyonshuti, who won in the same place two weeks ago in the Tour of Kigali, or Kenyan climbers who are all in the main peloton in the first stage except one who broke his wheel, or the Eritean strong men.

But Tesfei Berhi, the President of Eritrea Federation, was doubtful after the first stage. "Our riders did a little mistake letting the group go without one or two of them. They did a big effort to come back. That's why they didn't win. And I hope they'll recover well enough before the mountain stages."

Mostafa Najjari, Morocco's coach, said his plan was to force the Eritean to work as much as possible and he enjoyed making this happen, but his best positioned rider in the general classification, Jelloul, who is also the King of Mountains, lost 15 seconds. The first stage of the Tour of Rwanda raised exciting questions and the suspense is intact.