There is nothing more exciting, more emotional, and more inspiring in team sports than a comeback against all odds.
Today at the Tour du Rwanda, a group of five riders started the day still bruised after a bitter loss of Pau Marti’s yellow jersey on Tuesday – and just over three hours later delivered an unforgettable turnaround, capturing the GC lead and erasing a deficit that had looked formidable.
The hero of the day — and the new leader of the race — is German rider Moritz Kretschy, who heads into the final four stages with a commanding advantage of more than two minutes after beginning the day 1:20 behind the race leader.
It was a performance that will deservedly be remembered in the team’s 11-year history, even if it ultimately does not end with overall victory. Kretschy crossed the finish line in Rubavu on stage 4 second to a non-GC rival, but the result was about far more than a stage placing. Sure, this wasn’t the Tour de France – but the spirit shown today will always stand as an example of what it means to never give up.
And that “never give up” mindset was exactly the vow the team made after the bitter disappointment of the previous stage — a promise that turned into redemption. They believed.
You could feel it already during the morning team briefing, when sports directors Lahav Davidzon and Guy Sagiv laid out a plan that initially seemed almost too ambitious. They urged the riders to commit to the breakaway and apply maximum pressure on the leader’s team.
“I still believe we are the strongest team here — so let’s prove it,” said Davidzon. Even he did not foresee such a powerful execution.“They delivered even more than I expected,” he said after the stage. “They executed a dream script perfectly.”
From the start, Kretschy and teammates Fin Tarling and Zac Marriage went all-in, forcing their way into a breakaway that eventually included 16 riders. The NSN trio — especially Tarling and Marriage — set a relentless pace that caused havoc behind, leaving the peloton unable to respond.
As the climbs accumulated over a demanding course featuring more than 2,000 meters of elevation gain, the trio only grew stronger.
Australian climber Marriage summed up the feeling. He said: “With this team, anything is possible. It was incredible! We were surprised that the big break was allowed to go, and we just had to make sure the gap never came back. With the three of us in the final, it was a clinic. It was so cool.”
Tarling shared the same excitement, adding: “When I got into the first break, I thought it could be a good day. Then I saw Moritz and Zac come across, and I knew it could be a super day. We pushed on the first climbs, and the gap just kept growing. Then we started thinking about the GC…”
And then came Kretschy. A humble young rider and the ultimate teammate, he has spent the last two editions of the Tour du Rwanda working tirelessly for others. Today, it was his moment.
Before the race, he joked that delivering a strong result could be the perfect birthday present for his girlfriend, Pia Grünewald — but even he did not imagine a turnaround of this magnitude.
“I felt quite good early on, so I thought today could be a good opportunity,” said Kretschy. “When we got closer to the finish, my legs started to feel heavy…”
But he refused to let that slow him down. Just before the final decisive climb of the day, he launched a decisive attack from the breakaway.
“I know this climb from last year — it starts easy before getting harder — so I attacked there and kept gaining more and more time.”
For DS Davidzon, it was a move that perfectly reflected the German rider’s instincts and class. “He has incredible race intelligence – nobody deserves this more,” says Davidzon.
When he crossed the finish line, the usually reserved Kretschy allowed himself a moment of celebration.
He said: “It’s amazing to take the yellow jersey. I wasn’t expecting this today, but the team did a super ride. We showed that we are the strongest team.”