Debesay secures stage 1 victory
Team Rwanda Karisimbi continue to dominate overall classification
Eritrean Mekseb Debesay of the German team Bike Aid-Ride For Help won the first stage of the Tour du Rwanda on Monday in Kibungo. He beat three other Eritreans in a sprint finish including Aron Debretsion from the AS.BE.CO Cycling Team, and Elyas Afewerki and Haile Dawit, both from team Eritrea.
"I didn’t know what tactics to adopt in the final," said Debesay, "I finally chose the option of sprint because I saw that my compatriots were preparing for the arrival. It is a great happiness [to win today]."
The Rwandan Janvier Hadi retains the yellow jersey before the first mountain stage on Tuesday and his team Rwanda Karisimbi is dominates the top five places in the overall classification.
Brief Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Bike Aid-Ride for Help | 2:26:37 |
| 2 | Aron Debretsion (Eri) AS.BE.CO Cycling Team | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| 3 | Elyas Afewerki (Eri) Eritrea | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| 4 | Haile Dawit (Eri) Eritrea | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5 | Temesgen Buru (Eth) Ethiopia | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| 6 | Bonaventure Uwizeyiamana (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| 7 | Dirk Nel (Rsa) South Africa | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
| 8 | Lahcen Saber (Mar) Maroc | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
| 9 | Bereket Yemane (Eri) Eritrea | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| 10 | Yohannes Welderfiel (Eri) AS.BE.CO Cycling Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janvier Hadi (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | 2:30:41 |
| 2 | Valens Ndayisenga (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | 0:00:02 |
| 3 | Jean-Bosco Nsengimana (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | 0:00:03 |
| 4 | Bonaventure Uwizeyimana (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | 0:00:04 |
| 5 | Joseph Biziyaremye (Rwa) Rwanda Karisimbi | 0:00:07 |
| 6 | Mekseb Debesay (Eri) Bike Aid - Ride For Help | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| 7 | Temesgen Buru (Eth) Ethiopia | 0:00:12 |
| 8 | Elyas Afewerki (Eri) Eritrea | 0:00:13 |
| 9 | Amanuel Ghebreizgabhier (Eri) AS.BE.CO Cycling Team | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| 10 | Aron Debretsion (Eri) AS.BE.CO Cycling Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
A year of dirt and gravel - 2025 winners of the most epic off-road races select their favourite photos
Kate Courtney, Cameron Jones, Carolina Migoń, Rob Britton and others share career-defining moments from MTB Worlds, Unbound Gravel, The Traka and other events -
Tibor Del Grosso savours beating 'childhood hero' Wout van Aert for first win in an elite cyclocross series
'12-year-old Tibor would be absolutely pumped' says 22-year-old Heusden-Zolder winner -
After-Christmas sales: The best cycling deals for 2025
The After-Christmas bike sales are here! Check out our roundup of the best deals available today in the USA -
How to complete the Festive 500: Six top tips
Six essential tips to help you successfully tackle the Rapha Festive 500




