Eritrean Eyob Mektel who rides for Team Dimension Data For Qhubeka won the stage 6 of the ongoing Tour du Rwanda 2017.
Mektel who won stage 4 from Musanze to Nyamata on Thursday, used 1:58:55’’’ to reach the finish line at Nyamirambo.
He was followed by Yellow jersey holder, Rwandan Joseph Areruya, a mate at Dimension Data, who arrived at the finish line only three seconds after Mektel.
This made Joseph Areruya nicknamed Kimasa `The Bull’’, keep his yellow jersey with only one day left for Tour du Rwanda 2017 to end, at the National Stadium ride across Kigali on this Sunday.
Joseph Areruya leads the general classification with 35 seconds clear of his team mate Eyob Mektel who is seen as his most dangerous rival in this tour.
How the first five riders followed each in today’s stage:
- Eyob Metkel (Dimension Data for Qhubeka): 1:58:55
- Areruya Joseph (Dimension Data for Qhubeka): +0:03
- Debretsion Aron (Eritrea): +0:08
- Nsengimana Jean Bosco (Team Rwanda): +0:08
- Main Kent (Dimension Data for Qhubeka): 0:11
How the first five riders follow each other on the general classification before the last stage:
- Areruya Joseph (Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
- Eyob Metkel (Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
- Kangangi Suleimana (Bike Aid)
- Nsengimana Jean Bosco (Team Rwanda)
- Byukusenge Patrick (Team Rwanda)
Today’s stage saw riders start from Kayonza to Kigali on a distance of 80Km and on their route to Stade de Kigali, Nyamirambo, they had to mount the tiresome stones road known as `Kwa Mutwe’ also known as the Kigali Wall or “Trials’ wall’’.
Eritreans’ historical records and triumphs in Tour du Rwanda
When Eritrean Eyob Mektel won stage 6 of Tour du Rwanda 2017 today, it was his fifth stage won in Tour du Rwanda since it was internationalized in 2009.
He leads the list of stage winners with five, followed by Rwandans Valens Ndayisenga who won Tour du Rwanda 2014 and 2016 and Bosco Nsengimana who won the tour in 2015.
The two Rwandans have won four stages each since 2009 when Tour du Rwanda was made an international cycling competition.
Since 2009, Eritreans in general, have won the highest number of stages having won 19 while Rwandans who follow them have won 16.
