Embrace the World makes it three straight stage wins in Rwanda

Embrace the World hit a trifecta on Thursday in Rubavu, as the German club team claimed it’s third consecutive stage win at the 10th Tour du Rwanda (UCI 2.2) — rider Julian Hellmann’s second in three days.

After admittedly struggling over the climbs a day after winning Stage 3, the 2017 Tour du Senegal (2.2) found himself on the wrong side of another early split to kick off Stage 5 in a short, but quick 95-kilometre day launched from the shoreside town of Karongi along Lake Kivu.

However, Hellmann quickly rallied with the help of his team to back up American teammate Timothy Rugg’s Stage 4 win with a second one of his own.

“Yesterday I couldn’t hold on to the first group,” the 27-year-old German told Eurosport. “Today I even missed the first group on the first long climb and it took us a long time to come back to the first group, but my teammates helped me so much, thank you so much Sebastian and Lars — incredible.”

Embrace the World originated three years ago by a group of friends who were working, studying and cycling just for fun. The team raises funds for a social project with every kilometre the team rides, with each mile documented on Strava.

“I don’t know how it’s possible,” continued Hellmann, who is currently studying to become a doctor. “We are just working for each other, [doing] everything we can do, Nobody is riding for themselves.”

With three stages remaining, there are no shake-ups on general classification, with Rwandan national rider Samuel Mugisha still holding a 21-second lead over fellow countryman Jean-Claude Uwizeye (POC Cote de Lumière) and now 24 seconds over Mulu Hailemichael, both of which he toppled on Stage 2 at the end of a three-man breakaway.

Two-time stage runner-up David Lozano remains fourth (+1:50) after taking third behind Jade Julius (South Africa) and gaining another second on the overall leader on Stage 5.

“The stage was short, but very, very fast,” said 20-year-old Mugisha, who was a participant in a nine-rider break containing all the race contenders. “Everyone wanted to attack the yellow jersey and take time on myself. My teammates did a very good job to protect GC.”