Trouche tops breakaway companions in Byumba
By Pierre Carrey published
GC leadership passes from Eritrea's Teklehaimanot to Teklit
While an Eritrean rider remains the leader of the Tour of Rwanda after two stages, ownership of the yellow jersey passed from Daniel Teklehaimanot to Tesfai Teklit, who now sits atop the general classification by three minutes.
The unexpected turnaround happened strangely on a descent despite Rwanda being famous for its brutal climbs. The Thursday afternoon half stage was neutralised untill the middle of the first descent as technical incidents and a crash forced the peloton to stop and wait 15 minutes before kilometre zero.
Belgian riders of the Flanders-Avia team positionned themselves in the front, ready to launch an attack and after some flat-out corners a 12-rider group escaped, with four Belgians - Evert Verbist, Philip Van Baele, Bram Delie and Joeri Calleeuw - plus Frenchmen Guillaume Soula and Benjamin Trouche (CA Castelsarrasin), Luthando Kaka (South Africa), Raoul Hervé Mbah (Cameroon), Ibrahim James Yousef (Egypt), Faysal Alsharaa (Lybia) and Tesfai Teklit (Eritrea), Teklehaimanot's teammate who was willing to work in the breakaway.
The peloton lost a swathe of time on the descent due to some unrest in the bunch and at the bottom of the final six-kilometre ascent, the gap between the escapees and the bunch was 5:16. The last climb was irregular, with a maximum gradient of 16 percent. At the top, the breakaway riders were exhausted and the sprint was very close between James Yousef and stage winner Trouche.
The 26-year-old French rouleur took advantage of a conservative effort on the morning stage's final hill. "Because I'm afraid of crashes, I was at the back of the peloton and I missed the breakaway. So I could climb at my own speed," he explained.
Trouche, who has enjoyed just two first division wins in his career, is considered a generous teammate. Since his first Tour of Rwanda last year he has enjoyed competing in Africa, having ridden the Tour of Morocco and the Tour du Faso this year. Employed by the French gas distribution service GRDF, Trouche says cycling is pure leisure for him.
Meanwhile the new yellow jersey, Tesfai Teklit, who took third in the stage and ninth in the morning's half-stage, now holds a significant advantage at the front of the field. Although he's part of an Eritrean contingent that boasts many potential winners.
"Over the next days the team will ride for him except if he is tired," said Eritrean national coach Samson Solomon. In case of emergency the squad has four riders in the top seven overall. Teklehaimanot is second at 3:08 - in the third stage he won the bunch kick, edging out South African Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg, who tried to drop him several times on the final ascent.
Stage four, from Kigali to Gisenyi, will take riders to the Congolese border. With 148.9km and five first category climbs it may be the queen stage. In 2009 it was the opening route of the Tour of Rwanda and the organisers decided to place it later in the race because of the deep time gaps at the finish.
1 | Benjamin Trouche (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 1:10:34 |
2 | Ibrahim James Yousef (Egy) Egypt | |
3 | Tesfai Teklit (Eri) Eritrea | 0:00:05 |
4 | Raoul Herve Mbah (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:00:22 |
5 | Luthando Kaka (RSA) South Africa | |
6 | Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | |
7 | Evert Verbist (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:01:01 |
8 | Guillaume Soula (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:01:09 |
9 | Bram Delie (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:01:12 |
10 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 1 | 0:01:21 |
11 | Faysal Alsharaa (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:01:25 |
12 | Philip Van Baele (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:01:29 |
13 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Eritrea | 0:03:54 |
14 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa | |
15 | Tarik Chaoufi (Mar) Morocco | 0:04:03 |
16 | Teweldemedhin Natnael Berhane (Eri) Eritrea | |
17 | Jasson Bakke (RSA) South Africa | |
18 | Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Rwanda | |
19 | Estifanos Gebresilassie (Eth) UCI Continental Center | |
20 | Adil Jelloul (Mar) Morocco | |
21 | Dan Craven (Nam) UCI Continental Center | |
22 | Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) UCI Continental Center | |
23 | Meron Russom (Eri) Eritrea | 0:04:13 |
24 | Julien Schick (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | |
25 | Frekalsi Debesai (Eri) Eritrea | 0:04:18 |
26 | Paul Agorir (Ken) Kenya | |
27 | Nicodem Habiyambere (Rwa) Rwanda | |
28 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa | |
29 | Mouhssine Lahsaini (Mar) Morocco | 0:04:23 |
30 | Emmanuel Rudahunga (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:04:26 |
31 | Nathan Byukusenge (Rwa) Rwanda | |
32 | Gabriel Combrinck (RSA) South Africa | |
33 | Fathi Ahmed Atunsi (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | |
34 | John Njoroge (Ken) Kenya | 0:04:32 |
35 | Abdelati Saadoune (Mar) Morocco | 0:04:36 |
36 | Amr Mahmoud Ahmed Mohamed (Egy) Egypt | 0:04:37 |
37 | Nyandwi Uwase (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:04:40 |
38 | Issiaka Cisse (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:04:41 |
39 | Eddin Asran Osamahussam (Egy) Egypt | 0:04:44 |
40 | Obed Ruvogera (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:04:46 |
41 | Araya Medhin Dawit Haile (Eri) Eritrea | |
42 | Adnane Aarbia (Mar) Morocco | |
43 | Gasore Hategeka (Rwa) Rwanda | |
44 | Youssef Belgasem Ahmed (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | |
45 | Med Said El Ammoury (Mar) Morocco | |
46 | Jean De Dieu Uwimana (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:04:52 |
47 | Peter Loriko (Ken) Kenya | |
48 | Issiaka Fofana (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:05:00 |
49 | Martinien Tega (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:05:04 |
50 | Chris Germain (Sey) Seychelles | 0:05:07 |
51 | Sollomon Bittew Shiferaw (Eth) UCI Continental Center | 0:05:08 |
52 | Songezo Jim (RSA) South Africa | 0:05:22 |
53 | Francis Louis (Sey) Seychelles | 0:05:27 |
54 | Innocent Sibomana (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:05:30 |
55 | Mohamed Ali Almabruk (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:05:43 |
56 | David Matovu (Uga) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 0:05:46 |
57 | Samuel Ekiru (Ken) Kenya | 0:05:49 |
58 | Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 | 0:05:53 |
59 | Alex Bowden (USA) Team Type 1 | |
60 | Javier Megias-Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 | |
61 | Dieunedort Simo Sando (Cmr) Cameroon | |
62 | Sah Noel Tanessop (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:06:04 |
63 | Mahmoud Mohamed Alaa Eddin (Egy) Egypt | |
64 | Simeon Green (GBr) C.A. Castelsarrasin | |
65 | Stradford James Helms (USA) Team Type 1 | |
66 | Mohamed Saad Abou Hegazy (Egy) Egypt | |
67 | Guy Smet (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | |
68 | John Delong (USA) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:06:13 |
69 | Issa Ntibitura (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:06:19 |
70 | Amin Abdelrazag Alkilani (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:06:27 |
71 | Ahmed Mohamed Abdalla (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:06:29 |
72 | Robert Tawedi Modi (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:06:32 |
73 | Bolotigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:06:41 |
74 | Ali Al-Sayed Ali Abdullah (Egy) Egypt | 0:06:43 |
75 | Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:06:46 |
76 | Samuel Mwangi (Ken) Kenya | 0:06:51 |
77 | Innocent Uwamungu (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:07:08 |
78 | Edward Pothin (Sey) Seychelles | 0:07:11 |
79 | James Bristol (Sey) Seychelles | 0:07:25 |
80 | Juvenal Nduwimana (Bdi) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 0:07:31 |
81 | Andy Rose (Sey) Seychelles | 0:08:24 |
82 | Eric Sinamenye (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:09:28 |
83 | Gunther Cuylits (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:09:33 |
84 | Charles Joe Eldridge (USA) Team Type 1 | |
85 | Trust Munangandu (Zam) UCI Continental Center | 0:10:34 |
86 | Obert Chembe (Zam) UCI Continental Center | |
87 | Kipchumba Benjamin Kogo (Ken) Kenya | 0:17:04 |
HD | Jean Marie Ndayikengurukiye (Bdi) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 0:19:41 |
HD | Jean Marie Nshimirimana (Bdi) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 0:20:14 |
1 | Tesfai Teklit (Eri) Eritrea | 6:30:22 |
2 | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Eritrea | 0:03:08 |
3 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa | 0:03:21 |
4 | Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:03:30 |
5 | Estifanos Gebresilassie (Eth) UCI Continental Center | |
6 | Meron Russom (Eri) Eritrea | 0:03:35 |
7 | Teweldemedhin Natnael Berhane (Eri) Eritrea | 0:03:40 |
8 | Adil Jelloul (Mar) Morocco | |
9 | Bram Delie (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:03:48 |
10 | Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) UCI Continental Center | 0:03:51 |
11 | Luthando Kaka (RSA) South Africa | 0:04:08 |
12 | Dan Craven (Nam) UCI Continental Center | 0:04:09 |
13 | Ibrahim James Yousef (Egy) Egypt | 0:04:34 |
14 | John Njoroge (Ken) Kenya | 0:04:40 |
15 | Jasson Bakke (RSA) South Africa | 0:04:50 |
16 | Fathi Ahmed Atunsi (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | |
17 | Julien Schick (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:04:52 |
18 | Nathan Byukusenge (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:05:13 |
19 | Paul Agorir (Ken) Kenya | 0:05:24 |
20 | Frekalsi Debesai (Eri) Eritrea | 0:05:37 |
21 | Amr Mahmoud Ahmed Mohamed (Egy) Egypt | 0:05:38 |
22 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 1 | 0:05:50 |
23 | Tarik Chaoufi (Mar) Morocco | 0:05:56 |
24 | Araya Medhin Dawit Haile (Eri) Eritrea | 0:05:57 |
25 | Mouhssine Lahsaini (Mar) Morocco | 0:06:03 |
26 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa | 0:06:15 |
27 | Gasore Hategeka (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:06:25 |
28 | Sollomon Bittew Shiferaw (Eth) UCI Continental Center | 0:06:32 |
29 | Nicodem Habiyambere (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:06:40 |
30 | Abdelati Saadoune (Mar) Morocco | 0:06:58 |
31 | Eddin Asran Osamahussam (Egy) Egypt | 0:07:18 |
32 | Issiaka Fofana (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:07:42 |
33 | Gabriel Combrinck (RSA) South Africa | 0:08:07 |
34 | Emmanuel Rudahunga (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:08:25 |
35 | Nyandwi Uwase (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:08:28 |
36 | Obed Ruvogera (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:08:33 |
37 | Adnane Aarbia (Mar) Morocco | 0:08:46 |
38 | Issiaka Cisse (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:09:05 |
39 | Philip Van Baele (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:10:07 |
40 | Peter Loriko (Ken) Kenya | 0:10:27 |
41 | David Matovu (Uga) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 0:11:17 |
42 | Mohamed Saad Abou Hegazy (Egy) Egypt | 0:11:28 |
43 | Youssef Belgasem Ahmed (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:11:45 |
44 | Benjamin Trouche (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:11:52 |
45 | Songezo Jim (RSA) South Africa | 0:11:53 |
46 | Jean De Dieu Uwimana (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:12:29 |
47 | Raoul Herve Mbah (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:12:35 |
48 | Guillaume Soula (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:12:36 |
49 | Dieunedort Simo Sando (Cmr) Cameroon | |
50 | Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:12:39 |
51 | Mohamed Ali Almabruk (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:12:51 |
52 | Med Said El Ammoury (Mar) Morocco | 0:13:39 |
53 | Ali Al-Sayed Ali Abdullah (Egy) Egypt | 0:13:42 |
54 | Samuel Mwangi (Ken) Kenya | 0:13:55 |
55 | Obert Chembe (Zam) UCI Continental Center | 0:14:12 |
56 | Faysal Alsharaa (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:14:40 |
57 | John Delong (USA) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:15:33 |
58 | Javier Megias-Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 | 0:16:01 |
59 | Francis Louis (Sey) Seychelles | 0:16:03 |
60 | Ahmed Mohamed Abdalla (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:16:51 |
61 | Chris Germain (Sey) Seychelles | 0:17:58 |
62 | Evert Verbist (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:18:26 |
63 | Guy Smet (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:18:30 |
64 | Mahmoud Mohamed Alaa Eddin (Egy) Egypt | 0:19:19 |
65 | Kipchumba Benjamin Kogo (Ken) Kenya | 0:21:45 |
66 | Innocent Uwamungu (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:24:54 |
67 | Bolotigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast | 0:29:07 |
68 | Robert Tawedi Modi (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:29:16 |
69 | Martinien Tega (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:29:25 |
70 | James Bristol (Sey) Seychelles | 0:30:12 |
71 | Amin Abdelrazag Alkilani (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 0:30:52 |
72 | Trust Munangandu (Zam) UCI Continental Center | 0:31:43 |
73 | Sah Noel Tanessop (Cmr) Cameroon | 0:33:28 |
74 | Gunther Cuylits (Bel) Flanders Avia Team | 0:34:13 |
75 | Innocent Sibomana (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:38:51 |
76 | Simeon Green (GBr) C.A. Castelsarrasin | 0:39:42 |
77 | Samuel Ekiru (Ken) Kenya | 0:46:47 |
78 | Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 | 0:51:00 |
79 | Edward Pothin (Sey) Seychelles | 0:51:50 |
80 | Issa Ntibitura (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:52:44 |
81 | Alex Bowden (USA) Team Type 1 | 0:55:35 |
82 | Eric Sinamenye (Rwa) Rwanda | 0:58:43 |
83 | Juvenal Nduwimana (Bdi) Mixt Team Grands Lacs | 1:02:47 |
84 | Charles Joe Eldridge (USA) Team Type 1 | 1:05:18 |
85 | Stradford James Helms (USA) Team Type 1 | 1:08:44 |
86 | Andy Rose (Sey) Seychelles | 1:10:13 |
87 | Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory Coast | 1:10:15 |

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