Moritz Kretschy, 23 years old, won the 18th Tour du Rwanda today after the final stage on the circuit of the last world championships where Eritrean Henok Mulubrhan triumphed ahead of Belgian Mauro Cyclits from team Lotto-Groupe Wanty.
But Kretschy already knew at that moment that his more than two-minute lead in the general classification was sufficient to savor his final victory.
Having already finished 9th in the final ranking in 2024, the German from team NSN Development managed this last stage thanks to his teammates who protected him during the last kilometers of the Rwandan week.
After his two stage victories in the challenging mountain race Alpes-Isère Tour in France in 2025, Moritz Kretschy wins his first stage race in Rwanda, completing his team’s impressive record in this edition with three stage wins alongside Itamar Einhorn and Pau Marti.
At the finish line, the German was relieved to have kept his yellow jersey since the evening of the 4th stage in Rubavu and happy to become the first German to have his name added to the record of the largest cycling race on the African continent.
Elsewhere, it was a difficult Tour for the home riders, who struggled to make an impact throughout the race. The best-placed Rwandan, Samuel Niyonkuru, could only manage 16th overall, while Moise Mugisha finished 22nd, more than eight minutes off the pace. Vainqueur Masengesho followed in 23rd at 10 minutes down, with Eric Muhoza and Eric Manizabayo losing even more time.
Ufitimana Shadracke crossed the line 34 minutes behind the winner, highlighting just how demanding the race proved to be for the local contingent.
In total, only 65 of the 84 starters completed the event a reflection of the race’s intensity, but also a reminder that Rwanda’s riders were largely on the back foot from start to finish.
