2022 Tour du Rwanda explained

2022 Tour du Rwanda
Series:	2022 UCI Africa Tour
Date:	20–27 February 2022
Stages:	8
Distance:	937.1
Unit:	km
Time:	23h 25' 34"
First:	Natnael Tesfatsion
First Nat:	ERI
First Color:	yellow
Second:	Anatoliy Budyak
Second Nat:	UKR
Third:	Jesse Ewart
Third Nat:	IRL
Mountains:	Moise Mugisha
Mountains Nat:	RWA
Mountains Color:	orange
Youth:	Natnael Tesfatsion
Youth Nat:	ERI
Youth Color:	light blue
Sprints:	Sandy Dujardin
Sprints Nat:	FRA
Sprints Color:	blue
Team Color:	cyan
Combativity:	Omer Goldstein
Combativity Nat:	ISR
Combativity Color:	orange lines volta
Previous:	2021
Next:	2023

The 2022 Tour du Rwanda was a road cycling stage race that took place from 20 and 27 February 2022 in Rwanda. The race was rated as a category 2.1 event on the 2022 UCI Africa Tour calendar, and was the 25th edition of the Tour du Rwanda.^{[1] [2]}

After the 2021 edition was postponed to early May due to the COVID-19 pandemic,^{[3] [4]} the race returned to its usual late-February timeslot.

Teams

One of the 18 UCI WorldTeams, five UCI ProTeams, nine UCI Continental teams, and four national teams make up the 19 teams that participated in the race.^[5] Of these teams, 14 entered a full squad of five riders, while the other five teams (and) entered four riders each.^[6] was also reduced to four riders with one late non-starter. In total, 89 riders started the race, of which 65 finished.^[7]

UCI WorldTeams

UCI ProTeams

UCI Continental Teams

National Teams

• Algeria
• Great Britain
• Morocco
• Rwanda

Route

The complete route of the 2022 Tour du Rwanda was revealed on 30 November 2021. The mountainous eight-day stage race covered and over of elevation, with 31 categorized climbs and four summit finishes. Like in previous editions, the Rwandan capital, Kigali, featured heavily in the race, being a start and/or finish location on all but one of the eight stages. While the Mur de Kigali time trial, which had featured as stage 7 of the past two editions, was not a part of the route, the cobbled hill was still climbed four times during the race. Instead, the race began with a short time trial for the first time since 2017.

Stage characteristics and winners^[8]

Stage	Date	Course	Distance	Type		Stage winner
1	20 February	Kigali (Kigali Arena)	4km (02miles)		Individual time trial
2	21 February	Kigali (Amahoro Stadium) to Rwamagana	148.3km (92.1miles)		Hilly stage
3	22 February	Kigali (MIC Building) to Rubavu	155.9km (96.9miles)		Mountain stage
4	23 February	Kigali (Kimironko) to Gicumbi	124.3km (77.2miles)		Mountain stage
5	24 February	Muhanga to Musanze	124.7km (77.5miles)		Mountain stage
6	25 February	Musanze to Kigali (Kigali Convention Centre)	152km (94miles)		Mountain stage
7	26 February	Kigali (Nyamirambo) to Kigali (Mont Kigali)	152.6km (94.8miles)		Mountain stage
8	27 February	Kigali (Canal Olympia) to Kigali (Canal Olympia)	75.3km (46.8miles)		Mountain stage
Total			937.1km (582.3miles)

Stages

Stage 1

20 February 2022 — Kigali (Kigali Arena), 4km (02miles) (ITT)^[9]

Stage 2

21 February 2022 — Kigali (Amahoro Stadium) to Rwamagana, 148.3km (92.1miles)^[10]

Stage 3

22 February 2022 — Kigali (MIC Building) to Rubavu, 155.9km (96.9miles)^[11]

Stage 4

23 February 2022 — Kigali (Kimironko) to Gicumbi, 124.3km (77.2miles)^[12]

Stage 5

24 February 2022 — Muhanga to Musanze, 124.7km (77.5miles)^[13]

Stage 6

25 February 2022 — Musanze to Kigali (Kigali Convention Centre), 152km (94miles)^[14]

Stage 7

26 February 2022 — Kigali (Nyamirambo) to Kigali (Mont Kigali), 152.6km (94.8miles)^[15]

Stage 8

27 February 2022 — Kigali (Canal Olympia) to Kigali (Canal Olympia), 75.3km (46.8miles)^[16]

Classification leadership table

Classification leadership by stage

Stage	Winner	General classification	Mountains classification	Sprints classification	Young rider classification	Rwandan rider classification	African rider classification	Team classification	Combativity award
1	Alexandre Geniez	Alexandre Geniez	Not awarded	Not awarded	André Drege	Renus Byiza Uhiriwe	Kent Main		Axel Laurance
2	Sandy Dujardin		El Houcaine Sabbahi	El Houcaine Sabbahi					Leo Hayter
3	Jhonatan Restrepo	Jhonatan Restrepo	Axel Laurance		Axel Laurance		Natnael Tesfatsion		Axel Laurance
4	Kent Main	Axel Laurance	Samuel Mugisha	Sandy Dujardin		Eric Muhoza			Samuel Niyonkuru
5	Alexandre Geniez	Ángel Madrazo	Jean Bosco Nsengimana	Alexandre Geniez	Natnael Tesfatsion				Pierre Rolland
6	Anatoliy Budyak	Natnael Tesfatsion		Pierre Rolland		Eric Manizabayo			Moise Mugisha
7	Alan Boileau								Omer Goldstein
8	Moise Mugisha		Moise Mugisha	Sandy Dujardin					Omer Goldstein
Final		Natnael Tesfatsion	Moise Mugisha		Natnael Tesfatsion	Eric Manizabayo			Omer Goldstein

• On stage 2, as per race regulations, Jhonatan Restrepo and Sandy Dujardin, who were the next two best-placed riders in the general classification not already leading a classification after stage 1, wore the orange-and-white and the dark blue jerseys, respectively. However, neither rider was deemed to be officially leading those respective classifications, as no points had been awarded on stage 1 for either classification.
• On stage 2, Axel Laurance, who finished fifth on stage 1, wore the red-gold-and-white jersey, as the best-placed rider not already leading a classification or wearing another classification jersey.
• On stage 3, Abram Stockman, who was second in the sprints classification, wore the dark blue jersey, because first-placed El Houcaine Sabbahi wore the orange-and-white jersey as the leader of the mountains jersey.
• On stages 4 and 5, Natnael Tesfatsion, who was second in the young rider classification, wore the blue-sky-and-yellow jersey, because first-placed Axel Laurance wore the orange-and-white jersey as the leader of the mountains classification.
• On stage 4, Ángel Madrazo, who finished third on stage 3, wore the red-gold-and-white jersey, because stage winner Jhonatan Restrepo wore the yellow jersey as the leader of the general classification, and second-placed finisher Axel Laurance wore the orange-and-white jersey as the leader of the mountains classification.
• On stage 6, Pierre Rolland, who finished second on stage 5, wore the red-gold-and-white jersey, because stage winner Alexandre Geniez wore the dark blue jersey as the leader of the sprints classification.
• On stages 7 and 8, Henok Mulubrhan, who was second in the young rider classification, wore the blue-sky-and-yellow jersey, because first-placed Natnael Tesfatsion wore the yellow jersey as the leader of the general classification.

Final classification standings

Team classification

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tour du Rwanda. UCI. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220013509/https://www.uci.org/competition-details/2022/ROA/66961. 20 February 2022.
2. Web site: Tour du Rwanda 2022 Unveiled. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 30 November 2021. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220021317/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/news/article/tour-du-rwanda-2022-unveiled. 20 February 2022.
3. News: Covid-19: Tour du Rwanda 2021 postponed to May. Eddie. Nsabimana. The New Times. 15 January 2021. 20 February 2022.
4. Web site: Tour du Rwanda 2021 rescheduled. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 15 January 2021. 20 February 2022.
5. Web site: Teams - Tour du Rwanda 2022. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220013811/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/teams/. 20 February 2022.
6. Web site: Liste des Partants - Start List. Nicolas. Philippon. Tour du Rwanda. Votrecourse. 19 February 2022. 20 February 2022.
7. Web site: Startlist for Tour du Rwanda 2022. ProCyclingStats. 27 February 2022.
8. Web site: Stages - Tour du Rwanda 2022. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220022126/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/. 20 February 2022.
9. Web site: Stage 1 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220022942/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-1. 20 February 2022.
10. Web site: Stage 2 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220023320/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-2. 20 February 2022.
11. Web site: Stage 3 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220023524/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-3. 20 February 2022.
12. Web site: Stage 4 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220023918/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-4. 20 February 2022.
13. Web site: Stage 5 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024011/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-5. 20 February 2022.
14. Web site: Stage 6 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024458/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-6. 20 February 2022.
15. Web site: Stage 7 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024614/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-7. 20 February 2022.
16. Web site: Stage 8 - Tour du Rwanda. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024656/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/the-race/tour-du-rwanda-2022/stages/article/stage-8. 20 February 2022.
17. Web site: Jersey Descriptions. Tour du Rwanda. Rwanda Cycling Federation. 7 December 2021. 20 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220220010037/http://www.tourdurwanda.rw/jersey-descriptions/. 20 February 2022.