Two dead and six injured following traffic incident at the 2026 Tour du Rwanda

The Tour du Rwanda has taken to the road this Sunday, the 22nd of February, but the highlight of the day was not related to the competition itself. A traffic accident which included a caravan vehicle has led to the death of two spectators who were on the side of the road.

The organization of the east-African race, taking place in the nation which hosted the World Championships last fall, has shared an official statement on the incident:

The first stage of the race nevertheless took place, finishing in the town of Rwamagana, and has seen NSN Cycling Team's Itamar Einhorn take the stage win in the final sprint. Last year the race was won by TotalEnergies' Fabein Doubey, however at the time the edition was already marked by some absences from the race, due to concerns of the race's proximity with the active conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo - in which the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group was conducting offensive action only dozens of kilometers away from roads and hotels where the teams would be spending some of the stages in.

The world of cycling mourns more losses, albeit this time around not in the form of athletes. This sort of incident is very unusual, although not unprecedented. At the 2016 Tour de France, a child was hit by a vehicle of the race's extensive caravan as well, but luckily escaped life-threatening injuries.