Only 150 km, only 99 riders at the startlist. This race has been very hectic in the past, and we could expect a similar scenario today. Is home team Bralirwa able to lift the coveted trophy? Let’s find out!
Eight times the same cobbles with final ascent today, and we’re on the first time now. A group of eight leaders has formed, including two riders from the home team. Up front we have Menicucci, Sanikwathi, Taillefour, De Bondt, Lauk, Drege, Richardson and Eriksson. In the peloton, the first puncture of the race is for Schlechter.
Well, the Mur de Kigali takes no prisoners! We’re onto the second time the leaders reach the cobbles now, and only three leaders remain, the Bralirwa duo and De Bondt! Around 15 riders dropped in the peloton already as well, as they trail our three leaders by 2’30” with 109 km left. Teams working are Binance, Carlsberg, Sauber, HelloFresh, Trans and Philips.
As Lauk gets dropped in the leading group, we only have two leaders left with six laps to go. Thwaites leads the peloton over the finish line at 2’20”, with Benoot and Stallaert attentive near the front of the peloton. 68 riders left here.
The leading duo crosses the top for the third out of eight times, and they have almost three minutes over the peloton. Riesebeek with a flat tire there, which sucks for HelloFresh, as he should be a very interesting rider for them here. Benoot upped the pace for a second, which immediately led to a group of 27 favourites. He calms down after the top though, so we’re back to a peloton of 62 chasing the two leaders.
Ooooh, we’re halfway there, ooooh, living on a prayer! I am not ashamed of singing that, neither am I ashamed of giving you the same picture every lap. The peloton of 71 riders is currently at 2’40” of our two leaders, as four out of eight laps have been completed. Belgian champion Stallaert racing very attentive as well.
For somebody who predicted a hectic race, it’s rather boring so far. Yveske Lampaert is bored, and attacks just before the peloton hits the cobbled section for the fifth time, with 58 km to the finish line! Schreurs is also convinced, he joins the Colombini Belgian!
As Eddie Stobart’s Joeaar gets lapped, Menicucci and De Bondt reach the top of the Mur de Kigali for the fifth time! Schreurs can be found at 1’40”, the rest of the peloton fifteen seconds further behind.
As Schreurs is also caught, Colombini and Amaysim play another hand! In the counterattack on our two leaders are now Monk and Saber! 1’15” behind with 49 km to go, the peloton of 49 riders at an additional fourty seconds!
And that duo quickly reaches the front of the race, just when we start the cobbled sector for the sixth time! The four leaders have a 1’15” gap with 38 km to the finish line! Trans, Sauber, Philips, Binance and Carlsberg chasing.
The four leaders stay together on the Mur de Kigali! Thanks to Trans, their lead is being cut to 55”. Meanwhile Lampaert is feeling his earlier efforts, as he gets dropped from the peloton.
The Colombini duo in danger now! A very strong Menicucci and Schreurs leave them behind on one of the non-cobbled climbs after the Mur! 31.5 km left and this leading duo increases their lead over the peloton to 1’20”!
De Bondt brings leader Saber back to the front, but can’t follow the pace himself. 20 km to go, as our three leaders have 40” over the peloton, as we start the cobbled section for the penultimate time!
Saber couldn’t follow the pace of Monk uphill anymore, but an amazingly strong Menicucci is still behind him! The rest of the favourites only 20” behind the leading duo now, no real splits so far!
They gain some seconds again! Our two leaders with half a minute over the peloton of 30 riders, as there are 15.5 km left! Some previously mentioned attacking and unlucky riders such as Saber, Riesebeek and Schreurs are dropped, and so is Bush!
Van Lerberghe attacks on the non-cobbled climb after the Mur, and catches our two leaders. Believe it or not, Menicucci actually managed to drop Monk just before he got caught. Hats off to the Sanmarinese rider!
Strong move by the Binance Belgian, as he is solo with 10 km left! Right behind him are Daniel, David and Benoot. At thirty additional seconds we find a group of thirty being led by supertalent Girmay!
First Van Lerberghe gets caught by the three chasers, then it’s the Eritrean duo of Girmay and Okbamariam bringing those four back! 32 riders into the final five km! This is not your usual GP Kigali!
Amazing! Bush, who was dropped earlier, now attacks! Benoot and Daniel try to follow! 2.5 km to go!
The Philips and HelloFresh rider have to sit down for now! Bush with a 15” gap over the other favourites, where David and Gaday are currently at the front!
The Binance rider starts climbing under the flamme rouge! Then we see David , Gaday , Bewley and Benoot! Then a small gap to the other favourites, where we see Stallaert and Trentin!
Bush holds on, six hundred metres to go! Like a comet Stallaert comes flying from behind now! He is being cheered on by his teammate and lapped home rider Nsengiyumva!
400 metres left, as Bush is overtaken by Bewley, Gaday and Stallaert! Who is taking this one home?!
The Kiwi in the lead with 200 metres to go! Trentin into fourth and Daniel into fifth now!
What an absolute hero! He is far from retired it seems, as the legendary Bewley adds the GP Kigali to his palmares ahead of a strong Gaday in second and Stallaert in third! With a good final ascent Trentin and Daniel finish fourth and fifth respectively.
The Binance duo of Blythe and Bush are 6th and 7th, with a strong finishing Shiki Kuroeda in eighth.
Benoot then ninth ahead of Noppe, David, Vanbilsen and Taubel in thirteenth for Pas Normal.
