German cyclist Daniel Gathof and Dutch rider Bart Classens have won the Rwandan Epic 2025, triumphing after a decisive victory in the fifth and final stage held on Friday, December 5.
For this closing day of the fifth edition of Rwanda’s premier mountain-bike stage race, riders set off from Buranga and powered their way to the finish line in Kanyinya, covering a demanding 77.3-kilometer route.
Racing for SUFR PRO, Gathof and Classens bounced back strongly after a challenging fourth stage, crossing the Kanyinya finish line first in 2 hours, 51 minutes and 20 seconds.
They were followed by Team Amani—Germany’s Lukas Baum and Kenya’s Dan Kiptala—who finished in 2:59:40.
Rwandan cyclist Banzi Bukhari Banzi and Dutch rider Louis van Zeeland claimed third place with a time of 3:00:22.
This impressive performance in the final stage secured Gathof and Classens their second Rwandan Epic title, repeating their 2023 triumph. They completed the week-long challenge in a total time of 10 hours, 03 minutes and 41 seconds.
In the overall men’s team classification, they were followed by Baum and Kiptala, while Zambia’s Levy Pyele and Ernest Mazabuka rounded off the podium in third place.
South Africans Bianca Haw and Wade Young dominated the mixed-team category, outperforming their rivals.
In the women’s field, Rwanda’s Martha Ntakirutimana and the Netherlands’ Elodie Kuijper clinched victory, while Norway’s Thomas Naerland emerged champion among the solo riders.
This year’s Rwandan Epic attracted 85 riders from 16 countries, including 18 Rwandans—a record participation for the event.
It marks the second time SUFR PRO’s Gathof and Classens win the Rwandan Epic, having also claimed the crown in 2023.