Despite a strong performance by Duarte Marivoet Scholiers from UAZ, who claimed victory in the stage, Delbove's commanding lead remains intact.
Delbove, who has worn the yellow jersey for consecutive stages, finished 11th in Stage 5, but his overall time of 16 hours, 25 minutes, and 33 seconds keeps him at the top of the general classification.
His closest competitor, teammate Fabien Doubey, trails by a mere 2 seconds, while Oliver Mattheis from Bike Aid follows closely, just 5 seconds behind.
Despite winning Stage 5 with a time of 4 hours, 5 minutes, and 1 second, Duarte Marivoet Scholiers remains more than three minutes off the general classification lead, meaning his victory did not threaten Delbove's dominance.
Stage 5 witnessed intense competition over the challenging terrain. Awet Aman from CMC finished in second place, trailing Marivoet by 25 seconds, while Fabien Doubey secured third, helping Team TotalEnergies maintain its strong presence at the top of the leaderboard.
Notably, two Rwandan cyclists, Masengesho Vainqueur and Manizabayo Eric, secured spots among the top 10, finishing 8th and 10th, respectively.
The race moves into Stage 6 on Saturday, with cyclists tackling a 131.5 km route from Nyanza to Canal Olympia, passing through Bugesera.
With the competition heating up and margins narrowing, all eyes will be on whether Joris Delbove can maintain his yellow jersey or if a new leader will emerge.
As the Tour du Rwanda 2025 heads into its final stages, the stakes remain high, and the battle for the overall title promises even more drama and excitement.
IGIHE
