{"id":120703,"date":"2026-02-26T16:39:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium"},"modified":"2026-02-26T16:56:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:56:21","slug":"tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium","title":{"rendered":"Tour du Rwanda turns to high-speed Rubavu criterium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Thursday, February 26<\/p>\n

Stage 5: Rubavu Criterium (82km)<\/p>\n

After two punishing hilly stages, Tour du Rwanda 2026 changes tempo with an 82-kilometre circuit race in Rubavu for Stage Five\u2014the first time the Western Province hosts a circuit stage in this year\u2019s edition.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s race, dubbed the Rubavu Criterium, gets underway at 3pm and promises an afternoon spectacle along the scenic lakeside roads of Lake Kivu.<\/p>\n

A race hard to predict<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Tour du Rwanda has proven remarkably unpredictable. No rider has managed to win back-to-back stages or hold the yellow jersey for more than a single day.<\/p>\n

One consistent force, however, has been the NSN Development Team, owned by Spanish football legend Andre\u0301s Iniesta and his business partner Joel Borra\u0301s. The Israeli outfit has already produced two different stage winners, underlining both depth and tactical precision.<\/p>\n

Unlike the grueling mountain stages, Stage Five features a relatively modest elevation gain of 888 metres. While less physically demanding, circuit races often spark aggressive tactics, breakaways and high-speed sprints, making outcomes difficult to forecast.<\/p>\n

Before the official start, local cyclists, visiting fans and retired cycling legends will participate in a community mass ride covering 15 to 20 kilometres around Rubavu\u2019s lakeside roads and neighbourhoods\u2014an initiative designed to bring residents closer to the race atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Riders to watch<\/p>\n

Picking a clear favourite remains challenging. The competitive field and daily tactical shifts have reshaped expectations. Even established names like Eritrean star Henok Mulubrhan have not consistently dominated proceedings.<\/p>\n

Focus once again turns to NSN Development Team. Based on early performances, Itamar Einhorn and Pau Marti\u0301 Soriano remain strong podium contenders and could mount another stage-winning challenge.<\/p>\n

Another rider to monitor is Hodei Mun\u0303oz Gabina of Soudal Quick-Step Development Team. After a fifth-place finish in Stage Three and consistent top-ten performances, he has emerged as a potential threat\u2014particularly on a circuit stage that may favour punchy riders and powerful sprinters.<\/p>\n

With a shorter distance, lighter climbing profile and a festive lakeside setting, Stage Five in Rubavu promises fast racing and yet another unpredictable finish in this year\u2019s captivating Tour du Rwanda.<\/p>\n

General classification<\/p>\n

Distance covered so far: 581km<\/p>\n

1. Moritz Kretchy (NSN Development Team) 14h 02\u2019 34\u201d<\/p>\n

2. \u2060Johannes Adamie (Rembe\/Rad -Net) +2\u201902\u201d<\/p>\n

3. \u2060Amaniel Desta ( Team Amani) + 2\u201918\u201d<\/p>\n

4. \u2060Duarte Marivoet ( Lotto Groupe Wanty) +2\u201932\u201d<\/p>\n

5. \u2060Jurgen Zomermaand ( Development Team Picnic PostNL) + 4\u201907\u201d<\/p>\n

17. Samuel Niyonkuru (Team Amani) +4\u201959\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Thursday, February 26 Stage 5: Rubavu Criterium (82km) After two punishing hilly stages, Tour du Rwanda 2026 changes tempo with an 82-kilometre circuit race in Rubavu for Stage Five\u2014the first time the Western Province hosts a circuit stage in this year\u2019s edition. Thursday\u2019s race, dubbed the Rubavu Criterium, gets underway at 3pm […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":120702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,18,772],"tags":[843,758,3562],"class_list":["post-120703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","category-to-homepage","tag-rubavu","tag-rwanda","tag-tour-du-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\nTour du Rwanda turns to high-speed Rubavu criterium - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thursday, February 26 Stage 5: Rubavu Criterium (82km) After two punishing hilly stages, Tour du Rwanda 2026 changes t ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tour du Rwanda turns to high-speed Rubavu criterium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thursday, February 26 Stage 5: Rubavu Criterium (82km) After two punishing hilly stages, Tour du Rwanda 2026 changes t ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T16:39:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-26T16:56:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1772112349.779487.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Tour du Rwanda turns to high-speed Rubavu criterium\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-26T16:39:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-26T16:56:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\"},\"wordCount\":408,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1772112349.779487.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Rubavu\",\"Rwanda\",\"Tour du Rwanda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Sport\",\"to-homepage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/tour-du-rwanda-turns-to-high-speed-rubavu-criterium\",\"name\":\"Tour du Rwanda turns to high-speed Rubavu criterium - 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