Jhonatan Restrepo (Team Polti Kometa) won stage 3 at Tour du Rwanda as part of a reduced group that sprinted for the line in Rusizi. Restrepo beat Joseph Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech Academy) and Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal-QuickStep Devo Team).
“The team did an exceptional job allowing me to stay calm in the peloton until the crucial phases, in the finale I received tremendous assistance from German Gomez to close down the Belgian in front of us and sprint at my best. I want to thank Polti, Kometa, Aurum, and all the sponsors; we are not satisfied, and we want to win again," Restrepo said.
Reinderink was part of the Soudal-QuickStep Devo Team that won the opening team time trial, and then he finished third in stage 2 and again in stage 3, which was a 140km hilly race from Huye to Rusizi. The 21-year-old Dutch rider moved into the overall race lead.
Stage 4 at the Tour du Rwanda on Wednesday is a 93km race from Karongi to Rubavu. There are five classified climbs along the way, with the final third category challenge at Côte de Rubavu coming with just 8km to the finish line.
The third day of racing offered the field 140 kilometres from Huye to Rusizi, which included seven categorised mountains.
A five-rider breakaway set off early in the race but was brought back by a reduced 25-rider field in the closing 30 kilometres. The field then raced over the final 3km climb of Bumazi, averaging 6%.
Despite a late race from Soudal-QuickStep, a reduced field sprinted to the line won by Restrepo.
BREAKING: @JhonatanRVal ( @TeamPoltiKometa) Wins Stage 3 of Tour du Rwanda in @RusiziDistrict. A remarkable second triumph for the Colombian on Rusizi's challenging terrain! #TdRwanda2024 pic.twitter.com/QPS6nn2LFdFebruary 20, 2024
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