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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Sat Nov 20 2010 - 15:08:10 EST
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-rwanda-2-2-1/stage-5/results
November 20, Stage 5: Gisenyi - Kigali 158.2km
Debesai takes solo win
By:Pierre Carrey
Published:November 20, 14:40,
Niyonshuti retains overall lead
Spectacular landscape greeted the riders on stage five.
Spectacular landscape greeted the riders on stage five.
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Rwandan national champion Adrien Niyonshuti kept the lead of the Tour
of Rwanda's general classification on Saturday after stage 5, but his
advantage is under increasing threat from Eritrean riders. One of
them, Frekalsi Debesai, claimed victory at the Regional Stadium in
Kigali, the capital of the country, while his teammate Araya Medhin
Dawit Haile made it an Eritrean one-two by following home 19 seconds
later.
The 158.2km stage from Gisenyi to Kigali took place over constantly
undulating roads and opened with a 30km ascent. The main favourites
neutralized their battle as a result unorganized attacks, until the
penultimate climb, when the yellow jersey was dropped. Niyonshuto lost
up 1:35 to some big contenders such as the former race leader, Tesfai
Teklit (Eritrea). At the finish the suspense was electric for the
crowd as the UCI commissaires waited almost a quarter of an hour
before confirming that then Rwanda rising star still was the in the
yellow jersey.
>From the first climb, Niyonshuti was harassed by his rivals,
especially by the South African and Moroccan all rounders and by the
Ethiopinan Estifanos Gebresilassie, 10th overall, who was virtual
leader for a few minutes when he was part of a fourteen-rider
breakaway. The stage was then lit up by a very long escape containg
Niyonshuti’s teammate Nyandwi Uwase and the Libyan Fathi Ahmed Atunsi.
Born in Gisenyi, the start town of the stage, Uwase launched his
attack in Ruhengeri, the headquarters of the Rwanda Project and Team
Rwanda. “I felt strong today, I really was thinking I could win the
stage,” he said. Obviously euphoric to be in front, he didn't wait for
his breakaway companion on a climb, and then wore himself out by
riding alone on the following flat sector into a headwind. He was
finally dropped in the penultimate ascent at 41 kilometers to go and
Ahmed Atunsi, five-time Libyan champion in the time trial and road
race, went on a solo breakaway that lasted to the final ten
kilometres.
On the same ascent, attacks were launched in the main peloton and four
riders caught Ahmed Atunsi: Abdelati Saadoune (Morocco), Jason Bakke
(South Africa), Julien Schick (CA Castelsarrasin) and Evert Verbist
(Flanders Avia Team). 6km from the finish, the Eritrean Frekalsi
Debesai came back to the head group and immediately attacked. “Because
the guys were slow and I had very good legs,” he explained. He took
the win, nineteen seconds clear of his fellow countryman Dawit Haile
and South African Bakke.
Debesai, aged 27, took his own national championships this year, was
second on a stage of Tour of Libya stage and fourth at the GP Al Fatah
in the same country. “I'm very happy to win in Rwanda because I didn't
do anything until now apart supporting my team-mates,” he told
Cyclingnews.
In the African Continental Championships last Sunday, Debesai exploded
off the front before breaking his bike and crossing the line in 7th
position. Since that accident he has been using a machine that is too
big for him, 58cm frame rather than a 54.
Rwanda national coach Jock Boyer was pleased at the finish. “It's one
thing to take the yellow jersey but we know it's much harder to defend
it,” he said. “Fortunately Adrien Niyonshuti had a very good team to
support him today.”
Sports physiologist Clark Natwick, involved in the Project of Rwanda,
added that the riders had specifically undertaken team time trial and
tempo training before the race.
In the general classification, Niyonshuti's Eritrean rivals reduved
the deficit to eight seconds (Teklit), ten seconds (Natnael Berhane)
and 1:12 (Teklehaimanot). Suffering with a throat problem, Namibian
Dan Craven (UCI Continental Center), 3rd this morning, lost
twenty-four minutes, but his team-mate Grmay remains 8th at 2:05. Some
of the other contenders to maintain their positions include South
African Janse Van Rensburg (5th at 1:25), Moroccan Jelloul (6th at
1:44) and Eritrean Russom (7th at 1:47). They all hope to take the
lead in the last four stages, but Sunday is for all a well deserved
rest day.
Results
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Frekalsi Debesai (Eri) Eritrea 4:26:33
2 Araya Medhin Dawit Haile (Eri) Eritrea 0:00:19
3 Jasson Bakke (RSA) South Africa
4 Abdelati Saadoune (Mar) Morocco 0:00:21
5 Julien Schick (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin 0:00:36
6 Nathan Byukusenge (Rwa) Rwanda 0:00:49
7 Evert Verbist (Bel) Flanders Avia Team 0:01:29
8 Nyandwi Uwase (Rwa) Rwanda 0:01:35
9 Sollomon Bittew Shiferaw (Eth) UCI Continental Center
10 Tesfai Teklit (Eri) Eritrea
11 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa 0:01:49
12 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Eritrea 0:02:04
13 Fathi Ahmed Atunsi (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
14 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) South Africa
15 Adil Jelloul (Mar) Morocco
16 Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay (Eth) UCI Continental Center 0:02:09
17 Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) Rwanda
18 Teweldemedhin Natnael Berhane (Eri) Eritrea
19 Meron Russom (Eri) Eritrea 0:02:12
20 Tarik Chaoufi (Mar) Morocco 0:02:29
21 Luthando Kaka (RSA) South Africa 0:02:32
22 Gasore Hategeka (Rwa) Rwanda
23 Estifanos Gebresilassie (Eth) UCI Continental Center 0:02:44
24 Issiaka Fofana (CIv) Ivory Coast 0:02:51
25 Paul Agorir (Ken) Kenya 0:03:13
26 Benjamin Trouche (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin 0:04:22
27 Gabriel Combrinck (RSA) South Africa 0:04:34
28 Amr Mahmoud Ahmed Mohamed (Egy) Egypt
29 Javier Megias-Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 0:07:07
30 Kipchumba Benjamin Kogo (Ken) Kenya 0:07:10
31 Emmanuel Rudahunga (Rwa) Rwanda
32 Mouhssine Lahsaini (Mar) Morocco
33 David Matovu (Uga) Mixt Team Grands Lacs 0:07:31
34 Med Said El Ammoury (Mar) Morocco
35 Youssef Belgasem Ahmed (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 0:07:36
36 Eddin Asran Osamahussam (Egy) Egypt 0:07:38
37 Guy Smet (Bel) Flanders Avia Team 0:07:44
38 Issiaka Cisse (CIv) Ivory Coast 0:09:53
39 Jean De Dieu Uwimana (Rwa) Rwanda 0:11:38
40 Obed Ruvogera (Rwa) Rwanda
41 Samuel Ekiru (Ken) Kenya 0:12:11
42 Bram Delie (Bel) Flanders Avia Team 0:14:57
43 Guillaume Soula (Fra) C.A. Castelsarrasin
44 Peter Loriko (Ken) Kenya 0:17:02
45 Samuel Mwangi (Ken) Kenya 0:17:10
46 Ali Al-Sayed Ali Abdullah (Egy) Egypt
47 Faysal Alsharaa (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 0:19:50
48 Ibrahim James Yousef (Egy) Egypt
49 Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1
50 Adnane Aarbia (Mar) Morocco
51 Obert Chembe (Zam) UCI Continental Center
52 John Delong (USA) C.A. Castelsarrasin
53 Innocent Uwamungu (Rwa) Rwanda 0:20:01
54 Issa Ntibitura (Rwa) Rwanda 0:20:29
55 Sah Noel Tanessop (Cmr) Cameroon 0:20:35
56 Chris Germain (Sey) Seychelles 0:20:48
57 Stradford James Helms (USA) Team Type 1
58 Alex Bowden (USA) Team Type 1
59 Philip Van Baele (Bel) Flanders Avia Team 0:21:35
60 Ahmed Mohamed Abdalla (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 0:21:40
61 Joeri Calleeuw (Bel) Flanders Avia Team
62 Trust Munangandu (Zam) UCI Continental Center 0:23:55
63 Robert Tawedi Modi (Cmr) Cameroon 0:25:34
64 Dan Craven (Nam) UCI Continental Center
65 Eric Sinamenye (Rwa) Rwanda 0:26:06
66 Innocent Sibomana (Rwa) Rwanda 0:27:02
67 Mohamed Ali Almabruk (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 0:27:19
68 Raoul Herve Mbah (Cmr) Cameroon 0:28:54
69 Amin Abdelrazag Alkilani (Lba) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 0:30:21
70 Mahmoud Mohamed Alaa Eddin (Egy) Egypt 0:31:01
71 Simeon Green (GBr) C.A. Castelsarrasin
72 Mohamed Saad Abou Hegazy (Egy) Egypt 0:32:25
DNF Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 1
DNF Alex Bowden (USA) Team Type 1
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