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Areruya Retains Yellow Jersey Heading to Stage 6

by Bonnie Mugabe
written by Bonnie Mugabe 10:08 am

Joseph Areruya staged an impressive performance to retain the yellow jersey after Friday’s stage of the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon

Tour du Rwanda rider Areruya Joseph staged an impressive performance in stage five to head into Saturday’s stage six with the yellow jersey in the on-going La Tropicale Amissa Bongo Tour currently underway in Gabon.

The Rwandan rider finished stage five in eighth slot after clocking 3h18’49’’ 1’’. The stage was not so good for Rwandans as the duo of  Valens Ndayisenga and Bonaventure Uwizeyimana crashed out of the race.

Friday’s stage was won by Brenton Jones of Team Delko-Marseille Proven in 3h18’48’’ 10’’, followed by Reguigui Youcef Sovac (Natura4ever) in 3h18’48’’ 7’’ and Nocentini Rinaldo (Sporting / Tavira) in 3h18’48’’ respectively.

Despite finishing a distant eighth place, Areruya still retained the yellow jersey going into the sixth stage due on Saturday from Bitam to Oyem where riders will undergo a 107km race.

Areruya has clocked a total of 18h12’10 and is followed by Bike Aid’s Holler Nikodemus 18h12’21’’ 11’’) and Direct Energie rider Gaudin Damien 18h12’42’’ 32’’ respectively.

The three other Rwandans remaining in the race, Jean Paul René Ukiniwabo finished in 40th place with 3h19’43’’, Jean Damascene Ruberwa came 47th in 3h19’43” and Didier Munyaneza was 60th with 3hrs, 24 minutes and 8 seconds.

Going into Saturday’s race, Areruya hopes to maintain the good performance with hopes of retaining the yellow jersey so as to win the tour which has two stages to climax.

Stage 5 Results (Top 8)

  1. Brenton Jones (Delko-Marseille Proven)3h18’48’’ 10’’
  2. Reguigui Youcef Sovac (Natura4ever)3h18’48’’ 7’’
  3. Nocentini Rinaldo (Sporting / Tavira)3h18’48’’
  4. Selemun Zemenfes (Eritrea)3h18’49’’ 1’’
  5. Holler Nikodemus (Bike Aid)3h18’49’’ 1’’
  6. Mraouni Salaheddine (Morocco)3h18’49’’ 1’’
  7. Adrien Petit (Direct Energie)3h18’49’’ 1’’

8. Joseph Areruya (Rwanda)3h18’49’’ 1’’

General Classification (Top 5)

  1. Areruya Joseph (Rwanda) 18h:12’:10’’
  2. Holler Nikodemus (Bike Aid) +0:11
  3. Gaudin Damien (Direct Energie) +0:32
  4. Koshevoy Ilia (Wilier Triestina) +1:44
  5. Jones Brenton (Delko Marseille Provence KTM) +7:28
  6. Nocentini Rinaldo (Sporting Clube de Portugal/Tavira) +7:37
  7. Carstensen Lucas (Bike Aid) +7:40

8. Reguigui Youcef  Sovac (Natura4Ever) +7:42

9. Petit Adrien (Direct Energie) +7:46

10. Mraouni Salah Eddine (Morocco) +7:49