2025 Tour du Rwanda Preview

The route, contenders and riders to watch at the 2025 Tour du Rwanda

Feb 21, 2025

Huge thanks to Joe Morgan for writing this preview ahead of the 2025 Tour du Rwanda. Joe has his own Substack focussing on previewing upcoming races. Go and subscribe to it!

It’s the biggest annual week of racing on the continent of Africa as the 17th edition of the Tour du Rwanda kicks off with a prologue around Amahoro National Stadium, Kigali, on February 23 and will conclude 7 days later back in the capital city.

This year’s edition holds extra significance, courtesy of the fact that Rwanda is set to play host to the 2025 UCI World Race Championships. The race marks a huge opportunity for African riders to shine against some of the top-level European teams, and we have seen plenty of gems uncovered at the Tour du Rwanda.

The race is defined for its sometimes short, but often very difficult stages. The race organisers consistently do a very good job of providing a route which facilitates exciting, aggressive, and sometimes chaotic racing. Another key feature is that the entire country of Rwanda is at a high altitude, with the lowest point being the Rusizi River at 950 metres (3,117 ft) above sea level. In the world of cycling, altitude is very important, and it will affect the race.

In total, the 2025 edition is 804 kilometres, packed over 8 stages, and will see the riders tackle 13,190 metres of elevation. It’s not a race for the faint-hearted, as there’s always plenty of climbing awaiting the riders as per usual.

The Route Map + Race Schedule

Here is the route map and race Schedule of the 2025 Tour du Rwanda courtesy of the official race website, which you can find here:

2024 Edition

Last year’s edition saw 21-year-old British rider Joseph Blackmore (Israel - Premier Tech) take the race by storm, winning two stages and the General Classification. It was the first of three consecutive stage races that the British rider won, all of which were in different continents: Tour du Rwanda (Africa), Tour de Taiwan (Asia) and Circuit des Ardennes (Europe).

This race turned out to be a big breakthrough performance by Blackmore, who would also go on to win Liège - Bastogne - Liège under-23s and the Tour de l’Avenir (Under-23 Tour de France). Blackmore will race the Tour de France this summer, showing that the Tour du Rwanda could be a big window of opportunity for another rider to burst onto the scene this year.

There was plenty more success for Israel - Premier Tech beyond Blackmore, as Itamar Einhorn, Israeli champion at the time, won two sprint finishes. He would also go on to replicate his success at the Tour de Taiwan like Blackmore, winning a further two stages. Einhorn is scheduled to race the Tour du Rwanda once more this year, and he will likely be the man to beat on the sprint stages.

Another team who had plenty of success last year was the Soudal Quick-Step devo team, who began the race in style by winning the opening team time trial. Belgian climber Junior Lecerf had a standout race for the team, winning two stages and finishing 4th on GC, wearing the leader’s jersey on stage 6. Dutch rider Pepijn Reinderink also wore the leader’s jersey on stages 4 + 5. They won’t be in attendance this year but more on that later.

There were also stage wins for Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo and former La Vuelta a España stage winner Pierre Latour. Eritrean rider Dawit Yemane of BIKE AID was the highest placed African on GC, finishing in 10th. Aklilu Arefayne, racing for the Eritrean national team, was the highest placed rider on an African team in 12th.

Notably, there was no African stage winner in last year’s race, for the first time since 2021 and only the second time in the race’s history. Perhaps it’s a sign of how far the race has come in terms of being a global event, or perhaps not. One thing’s for certain: there will be plenty of riders looking to break the winless streak and become a African hero.

Pre Race Safety Concerns

Since beginning this preview, there was an escalation in safety concerns for the race after the allegedly Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seized control of the city of Goma, a city of two million people in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the Rwandan border. The UN has described this as a ‘dire humanitarian situation’. Stage four of the race is due to finish in Rubavu, which is just 14 km away from Goma over the Rwandan border. Global Peloton has written a more well-detailed piece, which you can find by clicking here.

On February 5, Tour du Rwanda announced an official press release stating, “Life in Rubavu and all across Rwanda continues as normal. Therefore, the Tour du Rwanda can proceed without any alteration to the schedule and riders, teams and supporters can be assured of a safe and enjoyable event.”

Despite the event still going ahead, the situation has led to Soudal Quick-Step deciding to miss the race due to safety concerns. The team typically sends their development team to the Tour du Rwanda, but that will not be the case this year.

Teams

There will be 15 teams in the 2025 edition of the Tour du Rwanda, with 5 riders in each line-up. In total, 75 riders are set to be on the start line of the prologue consisting of;

Two UCI Pro Teams: Israel - Premier Tech (Israel) and Team TotalEnergies (France)

Seven UCI Continental Teams: Team Amani (Rwanda), Lotto Development Team (Belgium), Bike-Aid (Germany), UAE Team Emirates Gen Z (United Arab Emirates), Development Team Picnic PostNL (Netherlands), Java - Innovotec (Rwanda), and May Stars (Rwanda).

Five National Teams: Rwanda, Angola, South Africa, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.

One Mixed African Nations Team: UCI WCC Africa

Here is the provisional start-list as of February 19, courtesy of the official race social media pages:

Tour du Rwanda 2025 provisional start-list

Riders to Watch

Here are 15 riders to watch out for ahead of the 2025 Tour du Rwanda based on the provisional start list:

Henok Mulubrhan 🇪🇷 - Eritrea

The standout star on the start list this year has to be 25-year-old Eritrean rider Henok Mulubrhan.

I would say that we are used to him donning the colours of the XDS Astana Team, but that isn’t the case since he is the current African Road Race champion and has been so for the last three seasons, meaning he has a special jersey. Mulubrhan made history by becoming the first rider to win the African Road Race Championships three times in a row.

It was arguably his GC victory at the Tour du Rwanda in 2023 as a Bardiani rider that helped secure a move to Astana for the following campaign.

Regardless, Mulubrhan will not be racing for XDS Astana at this race, but instead for the Eritrean national team. He comes into the race as a huge favourite for victory and has stated his ambitions for glory once more.

Mulubrhan is a very punchy rider who performs well on hilly terrain in particular. He’s not too shabby in a reduced group sprint either, and his recent 3rd place at the Muscat Classic in Oman suggests he’s in good form and ready for rumble in Rwanda. The majority of the stages should suit his skill set.

Milan Menten + Milan Donie 🇧🇪 - Lotto Development Team

Back in 2023, Milan Menten looked like he was set to have a promising few years as a top sprinter after winning the Belgian semi-classic Le Samyn and finishing 4th on a stage at La Vuelta. Things haven’t quite gone to plan since then for the 28-year-old Belgian, but the Tour du Rwanda could be a great place to kickstart his career.

If Milan Menten isn’t in the form to compete, expect the talented Aldo Taillieu to step up, as the 19-year-old Belgian is a potential future sprint star.

For the general classification, Milan Donie could be one to watch after winning the Flèche Ardennaise last year with an incredible 90-kilometre solo effort and beating some of the most sought-after juniors in the world, including Jarno Widar and Jørgen Nordhagen.

Nahom Zeray 🇪🇷 - Eritrea

While a lot of eyes will be on Henok Mulubrhan from the Eritrean national team, and rightly so, another rider who deserves a lot of attention is 22-year-old Nahom Zeray. Last year was very promising for the Eritrean, who had some standout results whilst racing for the Q36.5 Continental Team, such as narrowly missing out on the top 10 at the Tour de l’Avenir, finishing 11th.

Now, racing for Japanese team JCL Team UKYO, Zeray looks like he has stepped up another level. So far, in 2025, he has finished 14th at the Muscat Classic before 12th on GC at the Tour of Oman. It’s safe to say that he is in top form right now and should have high ambitions for the upcoming Tour du Rwanda.

Between Zeray, Mulubrhan, and another rider who will be mentioned later on, Eritrea has a very good chance at becoming the first national team to win the Tour du Rwanda since 2020, when they were victorious with Natnael Tesfatsion, now of Movistar.

Itamar Einhorn 🇮🇱 - Israel Premier Tech

The king of the sprints from last year, Itamar Einhorn, returns to the race for more success. After two victories last year, the Israeli rider will be eyeing stage 1 as a good first opportunity to make his mark.

Dawit Yemane 🇪🇷 - BIKE AID

After finishing 10th at the Tour du Rwanda and 15th at the Tour of Turkey in 2024, Dawit confirmed that he is one of the most gifted climbers at continental level. Yemane finished 7th at this race back in 2023, so he knows he’s capable of finishing in the top 10, and that should be the aim for the Eritrean. He’s not the only rider racing for the German team, BIKE AID, who could have GC ambitions too, but more on that later.

Adrià Pericas 🇪🇸 - UAE Team Emirates Gen Z

A lot has been made of the potential of 18-year-old Spanish rider Adrià Pericas. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that UAE Team Emirates has acquired Pericas’s service through their development team. Pericas has already finished 9th this season in the hilly Vuelta a la Región de Murcia, featuring some elite-level professionals. He should thrive on the hilly courses that the Tour du Rwanda presents.

We saw Joseph Blackmore make a name for himself last year; perhaps Pericas could be the next young European rider to do so this year.

Moise Mugisha 🇷🇼 - Rwanda

The 28-year-old is the only Rwandan rider on the provisional start list who is a former stage winner in the race. In fact, alongside Henok Mulubrhan and Metkel Eyob, Moise Mugisha is the only rider on the start list to have previously finished on the general classification podium, with 2nd place in the 2020 edition.

It’s safe to say that he has the pedigree to perform in this race and will be one to watch.

Guillermo Juan Martinez 🇨🇴 - Team Picnic PostNL

The dominative Colombian climber will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal, and Rigoberto Uran, among many other talented riders from the cycling-crazy nation.

Fellow Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo holds the record for the most stage wins in the Tour du Rwanda with 7, and with the mountainous terrain that awaits in 2025, Martinez is Colombia’s only chance of landing another win, but he certainly has a good chance.

Lawrence Lorot + Charles Kagimu 🇺🇬 - Team Amani

On the provisional start list, Lawrence Lorot is set to be the 3rd youngest African rider in the race, at only 19 years old, and only one of two Ugandan riders alongside teammate at Team Amani, Charles Kagimu. Considering his young age, it comes as no surprise that this will be Lorot’s debut at the Tour du Rwanda, and therefore, it will be difficult to know what to expect from the Ugandan, but he is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Charles Kagimu has plenty more experience compared to his teammate, and this should serve him in good stead.

In his two previous appearances at the Tour du Rwanda, Kagimu finished 26th (2021) and 21st (2022). However, three years on, Kagimu has become stronger and wiser heading into this year’s edition, and it would be no surprise to see him leap up the standings and be closer to the top 10.

Brady Gilmore 🇦🇺 - Israel Premier Tech Academy

The Aussie rider often looks comfortable on hilly terrain and is a more than handy rider in a sprint. Along with Itamar Einhorn, the duo could be very difficult to beat on the stages which end with a sprint of any sort. German teammate Moritz Kretschy finished 9th last year on GC, and is also worth keeping an eye on.

Metkel Eyob 🇪🇷 - Eritrea

The Eritrean is one of the most experienced riders on the start list and also has won the most stages in the field by some distance, with 5. Eyob is 2nd in the all-time list of stage wins in the Tour du Rwanda behind Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo and is also the only rider to have finished 2nd on GC twice.

He’s part of a very strong team featuring Mulubrhan and Zeray, and between them, they will be hoping for a very successful Tour du Rwanda.

Pavel Šumpík 🇨🇿 - Development Team Picnic PostNL

The second youngest rider on the start list is Czech rider Pavel Šumpík of the Picnic PostNL Development Team. As a junior last year, he won three different stage races and finished on the podium of four more, too. Considering his age, it is difficult to expect too much of him too soon, but Šumpík seems like a very exciting talent who could have the opportunity to showcase his abilities over the coming week in Rwanda.

Joris Delbove 🇫🇷 - Team TotalEnergies

The 24-year-old Frenchman won the GC at the Tour Alsace in 2024, a race previously won by the likes of Tom Pidcock, Maximilian Schachmann and Thibaut Pinot. He had also finished 4th in the prestigious one-day French race Paris-Tours the year before. Delbove has already shown good form so far in 2025, finishing 9th on the Queen stage of the AlUla Tour.

Along with teammate Fabien Doubey, who finished 5th on GC in last year’s edition after a solid performance throughout, the aim for Team TotalEnergies will be to try and finish on the podium.

More African Riders to Watch

Over the years, the Tour du Rwanda has been a perfect launchpad for several big African talents. The likes of Daniel Teklehaimanot, Adrien Niyonshuti and Louis Meintjes all enjoyed success at this race early in their careers. Expect an out of the blue surprise or two, but here are some riders you should be looking out for.

Yafiet Mulugeta was consistently strong in this race last year, finishing his first international elite race 35th overall. He went on to compete in the Tour de l’Avenir as well as several national French races with the World Cycling Centre. Let’s see how much of a step-up the 20-year-old has made.

Ethiopian Kiya Rogora told Global Peloton the he is aiming for a stage win and the top-15 on GC at this race. After a 2024 dogged by bad luck, he’s in a much better place in 2025 and will hope to prove his undoubted potential.

Sprinter-climber-puncheur Yoel Habteab is a man for all terrain. He had a brilliant first year in Europe last year with Bike Aid and makes his third Tour du Rwanda appearance here. Still just 20, it’s a big year for the Eritrean. Can he follow in the footsteps of Natnael Tesfatsion, Henok Mulubrhan and Merhawi Kudus with a breakthrough performance here?

The home nation have 2022 stage winner Moise Mugisha among their number, but in reality the Rwandans may struggle to make a significant impact on this race. Look to Eric Muhoza, riding for Team Amani, as Rwanda’s best hope for a GC or stage placing.

Stages

Prologue | Amahoro National Stadium - Amahoro National Stadium (4 km)

A pan-flat 4-kilometre time-trial kicks off the 2025 Tour du Rwanda beginning and finishing at the Amahoro National Stadium, Rwanda’s national and biggest stadium, with a capacity of 45,508 in the heart of Kigali.

This is the first time since 2022 that the race will begin with a prologue. In the past, opening the race with a prologue has been pretty common, as from 2011 to 2015, the Tour du Rwanda began the race in this way.

Being pan-flat, this time trial will suit the specialists, those who can produce the most power and be most aerodynamic. It’s a full-out effort, being over only 4km, meaning that the time gaps are likely to be minimal, but it will be crucial psychologically for the GC contenders to start the race positively.

It is important to get off to a good start in any race, and this prologue will provide the first opportunity to set the wheels in motion. Whoever wins this opening stage will also get the honor of wearing the first yellow jersey of the 2025 Tour du Rwanda.

Stage 1 | Rukomo - Kayonza (158 km) | Monday 24 February

The opening road stage begins in Rukomo, a town in the Nyagatare District, Eastern Province, 2,053 metres above sea level.

There is plenty of descending very early on into the stage, which will take the peloton to the first significant landmark of this year’s race, the Gatsibo climb.

Gatsibo (Category 2) is the only categorised climb on route, with the crest coming only 32.3km into the stage. It was used in last year’s edition on stage 7, won by Itamar Einhorn. Perhaps this will be an omen for the Israeli rider who’s set to return to the race this year to replicate his two stage wins from 2024.

In the final forty kilometres, there is little flat terrain, with plenty of uncategorised rises and descents. In particular, there’s a small ramp inside the final 10km, which may sting the legs of some, before the final couple of kilometres will see the riders on a slight descent towards the finish line in Kayonza, a town in the Eastern Province of Rwanda.

Kayonza is centred on a roundabout, where the road east from Kigali splits into the road running north to the Ugandan border and the road south to Tanzania, consequently leading the town to being a major transport hub. For the riders, Kayonza is likely to play host to a fast and furious finish between the sprinters and will be a big opportunity for the fast men to make their mark on the Tour du Rwanda.

Stage 2 | Kigali - Musanze (113 km) | Tuesday 25 February

Whilst the sprinters are set to have their fun on stage 1, the riders will have their work cut out much more on this difficult stage, which is less likely to end in a bunch sprint. With four categorised climbs on route, this stage is finely balanced with regards to the positioning of the climbs, meaning that they should have more of an impact on the stage.

The first climb is Kanyinya (Category 1), and awaits the riders almost immediately at only two kilometres into the stage. Standing at 5.5km in length and with an average gradient of 7.3%, it’s pretty easy to understand why it’s been given a first category status. The climb has been used on multiple occasions in the past, and in the 2022 edition, featured on three different stages, illustrating its popularity and practicalness amongst the race organisers.

What is not kind for the riders is the fact that they will have to make sure they are warmed up well before the start, as it could be easy to find yourself in trouble early on with a climb like this so soon into the stage.

Once they have crested Kanyinya, the climbing doesn’t stop, as after a short false descent, Wa Rusiga (category 2) illuminates in the distance. Not as difficult as the first climb, but the riders will still be feeling Kaninya in their legs. It is safe to say that whoever gets themselves into the breakaway in the early portion of this stage will need to be a strong climber. The riders will reach the summit of Wa Rusiga after 24.6 kilometres.

The climbing eases off for a prolonged period before another first category climb up Buranga, which was last used in the Tour du Rwanda back in 2018 on a stage won by Spanish rider David Lozano, who still races for the same team as back then, in Novo Nordisk.

The final climb of the day is on paper the “easiest”, as it's only a third category ascent. Kinigi, the same climb that played host to last year’s individual time trial on stage 5, won by French rider Pierre Latour. As we saw that day, the climb is quite a drag, at 8.2km with an average gradient of 4.5%. With three big climbs already in the legs and riders probably already distanced, the ascent of Kinigi will feel like it deserves more than just a third category status.

The climb serves as a great launchpad as the summit comes around 11.6km from the finish line, and with the descent following the climb, it will be hard to close any time gaps made. If things are still together after the descent, it will be a fast and furious finish in Musanze, where those remaining who are quickest in a sprint should have some fun.

Stage 3 | Musanze - Rubavu (121 km) | Wednesday 26 February

Rubavu will host the finish of a stage of Tour du Rwanda for the 14th time since 2009. It will be the 2nd time that this stage from Musanze to Rubavu takes place, after previously doing so back in 2012.

As is the theme with a majority of these stages, the riders will be climbing right from the start, albeit on an uncategorised climb, which drags towards an official climb at Kora.

The climb isn’t the hardest in terms of its length and average gradient, but the altitude will be the big test, as the climb is around 2,000 metres above sea level.

An extremely long descent follows before the riders enter a 30-kilometre circuit that they’ll complete twice. The circuit features the second category climb, Rambo, but the positioning of the climb within the circuit means that the sprinters will have the advantage over the attackers.

The final 10 kilometres descend towards the waterfront town of Rubavu, on the shores of Lake Kivu, where we will likely see a sprint finish.

Stage 4 | Rubavu - Karongi (97 km) | Thursday 27 February

Rubavu will play host to the finish of stage three before hosting the opening of stage four, too. It’s the first of two road stages that are under 100 kilometres in length, and it has the potential for fireworks.

The first 30 kilometres of the stage are all uphill, as the race shallowly ascends towards the first GPM point of the day at Gishwati Mukura National Park. It’s not particularly steep, but due to the length of the climb, it has earned a first category status. However, as the famous saying goes, “What goes up, must come down”, which can be attributed to this stage as a long 20km descent follows towards Gisiza where the next climb begins.

Rutsiro is also a first-category climb, as it stands at 9.5km in length and has an average gradient of around 4.8%. The peloton may have already been thinned out on the opening climb, but if that is not the case, the trapdoors will likely open here. With the summit coming 32.5km from the finish and a long descent to follow, the opportunity to attack will be appealing to the strongest climbers.

As mentioned, a descent follows, and it is quite fast, steep and technical, so the riders will need to be wary. The remainder of the stage has plenty of launchpads for attacks, as the road is either up or down at this point with little to no flat. It will be a difficult one to control, and team numbers could be the key in a finale like this. The final few hundred metres are pretty flat, meaning if it comes down to a sprint, the fastest sprinters remaining will prevail.

Stage 5 | Rusizi - Huye (143 km) | Friday 28 February

Despite there being three category 1 climbs and the stage finishing 1,735 metres above sea level, there’s a pretty good chance that this stage could end in a sprint.

This is because the majority of the climbing comes in the first 50 kilometres of the stage, and at the summit of the final categorised climb, there are still 92 kilometres until the finish in Huye.

With the way that the stage is set up, the breakaway riders could have a good chance of victory. This is because they’ll have plenty of hilly terrain to build up a strong time gap whilst the sprinters suffer, and with the majority of the remaining kilometres being slightly downhill, it will be hard for the peloton to close a big gap if there’s a strong and cooperating group of riders ahead.

If the race pace is tame throughout the early part of the stage, however, we should likely see a sprint finish in the seventh largest town in Rwanda by population, Huye.

Stage 6 | Nyanza - Kigali (114 km) | Saturday 1 March

The penultimate stage is the only summit finish of the race and consequently will have a significant say on the outcome of the general classification. Beginning with a long downhill section, the stage reaches its first two climbs 21.4 and 32.6 kilometres in, at Rukingiro and Gihanga respectively.

The middle section of the stage is predominantly flat before two ascents await the riders in the final 25km. First is an uncategorised climb, which will serve as an opportunity for the GC teams to assess the race situation and potentially eliminate some of the weaker riders.

However, it is the first category ascent up Canal Olympia which will be pivotal in the general classification race. Canal Olympia will host the finish for the 5th time in the race’s history. The last time the climb featured in the finale of a stage back in 2022 it was won by home rider Moise Mugisha.

The climb is 5.2km in length and has an average gradient of 6.5%, with a section of the climb crucially being on cobblestones. With the climb also reaching 1,750 metres above sea level, things should become quite selective, and we should see the strongest climbers come to the fore, and those eyeing the GC will have highlighted this stage as a key one.

One thing is for sure: the crowd and atmosphere on the climb will be electric.

Stage 7 | Kigali - Kigali (73 km) | Sunday 2 March

With the first 50 kilometres being relatively flat, the stage hinges on one key landmark, Mont Kigali. A single ascent of one of the most famous climbs in Rwanda is set to see some epic racing, as it is the final chance for the climbers to make their mark in the race. The ascent is 5.9km long with a 6% average gradient and is at a height of around 1750 metres above sea level. The slopes of the climb will be stacked with massive crowds, and this should inspire the riders who are on the limit. The summit comes with 14km to go, meaning that it is by no means a given that whoever crosses the top of the climb first will go on to win the stage.

There’s a short but steep descent, which is broken up by a flat section, before the final couple of kilometres gradually rise to the finish line at the Convention Centre in Kigali. The finale of this stage could become a tactical one, as there are opportunities to launch a late attack, and with the GC battle occurring, it could be an opportunistic attacker that sneaks away.

Whoever is the GC leader at this point will need to be vigilant because the opposition will be throwing their final punches in an attempt to steal the race lead and claim the overall glory.

It is set to be a cracking finale to the 2025 Tour du Rwanda.

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