In the Tour du Rwanda 2026 Stage 2, Spanish cyclist Marti Soriano Pau secured a thrilling victory this Monday. He won the second stage of the Tour du Rwanda 2026. The 134.6-kilometer route commenced in Nyamata and concluded in Huye City.
Soriano Pau crossed the finish line with a time of 3h10′10″30. He narrowly defeated Eritrean rider Henok Mulubrhan by just only two microseconds.
Rwandan rider NSENGIYUMVA Shemu emerged as the top local performer. He finished just one second behind the winner with a recorded time of 3h10′11″69.
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Early Breakaway Attempts in Tour du Rwanda 2026 Stage 2
The race began with high energy from the start. A five-man breakaway group attempted to pull away early. However, the main peloton quickly neutralized this move.
Team NSN led the chase to keep the group together. This initial group included Heidemann, NKUNDABERA, and UWIDUHAYE. Martins and Sousa also joined the early attack. They only managed to maintain a ten-second gap.
By the five-kilometer mark, a new trio successfully broke away. Heidemann, Martins, and Erasmus built a 25-second lead. During this phase, Uwiduhaye fell behind the leaders. The main group trailed the frontrunners by 35 seconds.
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Strategic Battles for Sprint and Mountain Points
The leading trio maintained their advantage for a significant period. The peloton remained controlled by the Eritrean national team. Yellow Jersey holder Itamar Einhorn also kept his team in front.
Upon reaching Ruhuha, the leaders contested the intermediate sprint points. Heidemann took the maximum three-second bonus. Erasmus followed with two seconds while Martins took one.
Heidemann continued his strong performance at the first climb. He claimed the first King of the Mountains points there. However, the hierarchy shifted during the second categorized climb.
Martins took the top points during that ascent. Heidemann finished second and Erasmus took third.
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The Final Sprint Finish in Huye City
As the race reached Nyanza, Heidemann showed his strength again. He won the intermediate sprint at the 99-kilometer mark. Erasmus and Martins followed closely behind him.
By kilometer 102, the gap reached two minutes and 30 seconds. However, the intensity increased in the final 25 kilometers. The peloton slashed the lead to one minute and 30 seconds. Itamar Einhorn remained prominently positioned within the chasing pack.
The long-standing breakaway was finally caught in Huye City. The pack remained tightly crowd together for the final stretch. In a high-speed sprint, Marti Soriano Pau edged out his rivals. This victory marks a significant moment in the 2026 edition.
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Key Takeaways from Tour du Rwanda Stage 2
Winner: Marti Soriano Pau (Spain) took the stage with a time of 3h10′10″30.
Top Rwandan: Nsengiyumva Shemu finished as the highest-placed local rider, trailing the winner by only one second.
Sprint Dominance: Heidemann (Team Rembe) dominated the intermediate sprints at Ruhuha and Nyanza.
Climbing Battle: Points were split between Heidemann and Martins across the two categorized climbs.
The Finish: The long-standing breakaway was caught in the final kilometers, leading to a massive group sprint in Huye City.
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