Joe Blackmore Takes Second Place in GC Following Impressive Tour du Rwanda Time Trial
In the Tour du Rwanda’s fifth stage individual time trial, IPT rider Joe Blackmore demonstrated a remarkable performance, securing third place and catapulting himself to second place on the General Classification (GC). According to the report, “A day before his 21st birthday, IPT rider Joe Blackmore produced a ride worthy of early celebrations in the Tour du Rwanda’s fifth stage individual time trial.”
Blackmore’s strong finish put him just two seconds behind the race leader, William Lecerf (SQD). His teammate Moritz Kretschy also made a significant move, finishing seventh on the day and moving up to sixth overall, 26 seconds behind. IPT is the sole team with two riders within 30 seconds of the yellow jersey.
In Blackmore’s own words, “I felt pretty good today. I’m just happy I could do a good ride. I’m a level higher than I was here last year, which is promising for the GC. It’s open, and with some shorter stages and a circuit finish on the final day, it feels like anything can still happen.”
Despite challenging aspects of the time trial course, both Blackmore and Kretschy chose the HANZŌ time trial bike, a decision that Blackmore felt paid off. “With the TT bike I could get up to a higher speed on the flat bits a bit more easily and recover a bit more, before pushing on the steeper bits,” he explained.
In an unusual turn, Blackmore, despite participating in a time trial, was presented with the Breakaway of the Day jersey after the stage.
The article concludes by mentioning that the upcoming sixth stage presents a familiar challenge for Blackmore, as the route includes the Mont Kigali climb, an ascent he tackled in last year’s event while competing for a Great Britain national squad.
