Welcome to Rwanda where the Pro Tour peloton faces 150k of cobbles and climbs around the capital city. The riders will tackle a short opening stretch followed by 7 laps of a circuit with the finish on the 8th ascent of the cobbled climb.
Pedersen is the favorite.
Lots of early interest in the break, with 7k gone there are 24 riders off the front, split into 4 groups.
A leading group of 16 hits the first ascent of the cobbled climb with a lead of 41 seconds over a chase group of 8 and 1’40 over the peloton which is being led by Tinkoff, Cedevita, Ekoi and Grieg. The 16 front runners are: Räim Askey Bonneu Ansons Kurianov Mohammad Osborne Sommer Malacarne Fedeli Verwilst Brockhoff Diaz Suarez Allegaert Frankovic Kanerva
The climb is really a 3.7k section of flat cobbles with a steep cobbled climb in the last 800 meters.
The climb wreaks havoc and on the descent it is down to 13 riders up front with Frankovic, Osborne, Askey, Allegaert, Ansons, Räim, Verwilst, Kurianov, Malacarne and Sommer surviving from the original front group and Chokri, David, and Finkst bridging up from the second group.
The lead group is up to 14 as they hit the cobbled ascent for the second time. The addition is Salazar. Diaz Suarez briefly rejoined but was dropped again and is now headed back to the peloton which is at 1’44. 109k to go.
It is down to just 7 at the front as they crest the 2nd ascent: David, Verwilst, Malacarne, Sommer, Askey, Ansons and Allegaert.
Sommer is dropped over the top but the surviving 6 are given more leeway as their lead goes over 2 minutes for the first time.
But the next cobbled ascent sees the break almost completely closed down and a counter attack with Vermeersch, Stokbro, Malecki, Rutsch and Ovsyannikov gets a gap
But they are all brought back on the next cobbled ascent (the 4th). 130 riders at the front of the race with 71k to go.
Rutsch and Stokbro go clear again on the climb and open up a 1’30 lead.
With 64k to go Vermeersch, Gamper, and Stewart launch a counter. Mestric leads the chase, Malecki thinking of joining the attack.
Onto the 5th cobbled sector, the three attackers have joined the two front runners. They have 1’16 on the peloton and 26 seconds on Malecki who tried to bridge across but isn’t looking good.
For the first time the break survives the cobbled climb intact but their lead is just 55 seconds with 50k to go. Malecki still in between. Near the front of the peloton are Jansen, Meeus, and Poljanec.
The attackers are caught on the 6th cobbled climb. Gamper, Vermeersch and Stewart immediately try again.
Over the top Gamper still has a small lead with Pedersen and Anderberg looking to follow (the Finnish champion is being lapped).
No gaps formed and a 41-rider lead group emerges after the climb. Senechal and Van Baarle lead the chase group which is 37 seconds down.
Meiler puts in a couple of digs but doesn’t get anywhere. The Senechal group has closed the gap.
But Meiler was just setting up Per who goes clear with 27k to go. Spengler chasing (the Evonik rider is lapped).
Those two briefly get together but are closed down by chasing from Grieg and Cedevita.
Spengler has another go with Jacobs but they are quickly closed down and a 66-rider group hits the cobbled climb for the 7th time. The next time is the finish.
Over the top Pedersen, Per and Zepuntke looks to pull away. The front group down to 28. Gamper among those missing, a repeat win looks unlikely.
The elastic doesn’t snap and 24 riders enter the final 15k together.
That is down to 17 as Pedersen attacks with 12k to go. Zepuntke on the front of the group decides he can’t or won’t try and follow.
Carlsberg (Per, Menten) and King Power (Tiller, Salzmann) have two riders in the chase group but they aren’t willing to work so Pedersen rides away from them. 9.6k to go and Pedersen’s lead is 49 seconds.
5k for Pedesen, he is in TT mode. His lead went over a minute before Menten did some work but the Carlsberg man has cracked now and the gap has stabilized at 50 seconds.
A push from Zepuntke drops Spengler from the chase group. We won’t have a repeat winner. Gap down to 41 seconds with 4k to go.
Just under 2k to go, Pedersen is on the final cobbled section. Zepuntke has his lead down to 33 seconds, maybe since he is a wild card rider he figures he has nothing to lose by chasing.
With 1.5k to go the chase group is down to 9. Pedersen is at the 1k banner and still has a 36 second lead, but he will face the climb soon. The 9 chasers are Zepuntke, Anderberg, Per, Jacobs, Van Hooydonck, Senechal, Gerts, Siric, and Girmay
400 meters and with a 40 second lead Pedersen feels he can celebrate winning GP Kigali. Altur has rejoined the chase group.
Pedersen is still celebrating ahead as Per goes in to the lead of the chase group. 400 meters for him.
200 meters, Per still well clear. Van Hooydonck is next.
Per easily takes 2nd. Siric just gets by Van Hooydonck for 3rd.
Gerts is 4th and then Anderberg and Altur. The Xero rider is lapped. Senechal and Jacobs take 8th and 9th just behind the riders shown.
Girmay just holds off Zepuntke and Salzmann for 10th
GP Kilgali 
