The Pro Touch rider tackled three kilometers from the finish just after the general regroup between the peloton and the breakaway group made up of Frenchman Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM), Israeli Omer Goldstein (Israel-Premier Tech) and Dane Andreas Nielsen (Team Coop).
The other riders who had been part of the origin of this breakaway had given up just before, Samuel Mugisha (Pro Touch), Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies), Samuel Niyonkuru (Rwanda) and Scott McGill (Wildlife Generation).
The long climb towards the finish had allowed the peloton to get back to the leading group very quickly and it was at this precooked moment that Kent Main had launched his attack without anyone trying to follow him. The front of the peloton had taken a kilometer before getting organized behind the South African but he had already taken 15 seconds of advantage.
“I took advantage of the work of my teammate Samuel Mugisha at the front of the race during this stage,” said Kent Main. It allowed me to focus on this final that I knew because we had passed it last year. I knew that it took strength for the last meters, it was long and difficult, I had the impression that the line never approached. It’s a huge joy for me, it’s my first big victory at this level. »
Kent Main is no stranger to the Tour of Rwanda where he finished 3rd in the final classification in 2020 and twice finished second in a stage in 2017 and 2020.
The leader of the general classification this morning, the sick Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo, broke down and arrived 10’43” after the winner of the day, in 75th place. It is the young Frenchman Axel Laurance from the B&B Hotels-KTM team who will wear the yellow jersey tomorrow for the 5th stage between Muhanga and Musanze over a distance of 124.7 kilometers.
THE WINNER’S CARD
KENT HAND
South Africa
ProTouch (South Africa)
26 years
UCI Victory: 1 (4th stage Tour of Rwanda 2022)
UCI ranking: 195th
Last race: South African National Championship (4th road race, 2nd time trial)
Tour of Rwanda: 4th participation (2017, 2020, 2021, 2022)
