In a dramatic conclusion to the first road stage of this year’s Tour du Rwanda, young Israeli cyclist Rotem Tene narrowly missed securing victory by what appeared to be mere millimeters in the photo finish.
The 23-year-old from Hod HaSharon had to settle for second place after the commissaires reconsidered the stage result upon reviewing the photo finish and awarded the victory to Eritrean rider Henok Mulubrhan.
“Close and painful,” Tene says. Despite the disappointment, he didn’t seem overly disheartened, perhaps because it marked the best achievement of his budding career.
Tene wasn’t originally slated to contend for the win in the 157-kilometer opening stage of Africa’s leading stage race. That role was designated for lead sprinter Itamar Einhorn. However, when Einhorn was slightly obstructed 500 meters from the finish, Tene seized the opportunity. He took advantage of a leadout from Australian Brady Gilmore, who went on to finish fifth.
“When I saw Itamar wasn’t there, I went for it,” Tene adds. “It was a very long sprint; I saw the finish line from quite a distance. In hindsight, it was just a tiny bit too long because the Eritrean and I arrived together. To be fair, I thought he edged me out, although later I saw it was much closer than I initially thought. We’re a strong team here, and there will be more opportunities.”
The team indeed appears balanced and strong, having been recognized on the podium as the best team of the stage. More importantly, Tene’s performance demonstrates Israel’s growing depth of fast riders: National champion Oded Kogut managed to compete with the world’s top sprinters at the UAE Tour last week (finishing fifth on Stage 5), Einhorn secured four victories last season, and now Tene proves he is a contender to be reckoned with.
The second stage of the race will commence on Tuesday, leading from Kigali to Musanze, where the Israeli team will aim to capture the victory that narrowly eluded them today.
Photos: (C) Tour du Rwanda
