Spotlight on West Africa - Growing the grassroots
Exploring the state of west African cycling, recapping the Tour de Lunsar and looking ahead to the Tour du Benin
This is the first edition of the Spotlight series, where Global Peloton will put the focus on a specific region in the world with the latest cycling news, stories and analysis.
Of the 20 poorest countries on the planet, 7 are located in west Africa. Yet, this region has been more fruitful in terms if UCI races than any other on the continent over the past few decades.
The region hosts Africa’s longest-standing UCI races; including the Tour du Faso in Burkina Faso and La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon.
However, things are changing. Neither of these stalwart events are on the UCI calendar in 2024. La Tropicale was removed from the calendar due to the recent coup in Gabon. The situation in Burkina Faso is similar with violent political instability rumbling on since a military coup in 2022.
No announcement has yet been made about the Tour du Faso for 2024, but the race looks unlikely given the situation. National level events have been taking place in the country, but these are not on the same scale as the Tour du Faso.
It’s not the first time these races have been on hiatus due to major events. Faso was cancelled in 2014 due to the Ebola outbreak across the region. La Tropicale wasn’t held in 2021 and 2022 because of COVID-19, but did return in 2023, with Total Energies’ Geoffrey Soupe the winner.
In 2023, the victor of the Tour du Faso was once highly-rated prospect Paul Daumont, who won his home race for the first time. Daumont, who spent time at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Switzerland as a young rider, dominated the race. He won five stages and never finished outside of the top-six on any of the ten days. Daumont managed to seal a contract racing overseas for this season. He is racing the vibrant amateur scene in Guadeloupe, where his has already taken overall victory at the GP du Conseil Général de Guadeloupe-Petit Canal.
Unlike Faso and La Tropicale, two major stage races in Cameroon are confirmed to be going ahead in 2024: the Tour du Cameroun in May and GP Chantal Biya in October. These continue alongside several national-level events in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and others.
While the pause of Faso and La Tropicale while other things take priority is disappointing for the sport, other events have been growing across the region in recent years.
The ever-expanding Fundsmith Tour de Lunsar
The 10th edition of the Fundsmith Tour de Lunsar, held last weekend, was the biggest one yet.
An extra stage was added this year to the women’s race, making it one of just two women’s stage races in Africa - the other being the Tour of Burundi, however neither are UCI events.
The women’s race was won by Béninoise rider Hermione Ahouissou, ahead of two team-mates on the podium; Raimatou Kpovihouede and Georgette Vignonfodo. The trio came to the race for the first time. They are part of the Bénin national team, coached by former Rwanda WorldTour rider Adrien Niyonshuti and supported by Team Africa Rising.
The team dominated the racing from started to finish, showing the progress they have made over the last two years under the guidance of Niyonshuti and his team of trainee coaches. The closest riders to them were young Sierra Leoneans Esther Manseray and Blessing Jabbie.
The men’s race was won for a second year in a row by a rider from Nigeria. Bright Emmanuel won the four-stage race by one second ahead of team-mate and reigning champion Preye John Dede.
Home rider Ibrahim Jalloh, the winner in 2022, finished third overall. Jalloh has spent much of the last year racing in the UAE. He was recently sixth at the Daman Ramadan Race.
67 riders took on the junior race and it was won by Abu Bakarr Kamara of the Lunsar Cycling Team.
You can look at some of the photos from the race in this gallery on CyclingNews or on the Tour de Lunsar website.
Looking ahead to the Tour du Bénin
The development of cycling in Sierra Leone will get a further boost next week as they send a men’s team to the UCI 2.2 Tour du Bénin for the first time.
As mentioned before, the Bénin national team has been going through an accelerated period of development thanks to the coaching of Adrien Niyonshuti and a federation which has prioritised the development of its athletes.
The Tour du Bénin kicks off on the 30th of April for its third edition as a UCI event - it has taken place since 2014 as a national level event.
The race will be a perfect representation of the development of cycling west Africa, with riders from eight nations in the region taking part. Added to that will be last year’s winners Morocco, continental team EuroCyclingTrips - YOELEO and the Mauritius national team. All three teams will provide stiff opposition to the west Africans.
Here is a promotional video of the race created by the organisers:
First Nigerian woman in a UCI team
Last year, Nigeria’s Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye pulled off a big surprise to win the African continental road championships in Ghana, defeating the likes of Kim Le Court and Vera Looser.
The win earned Ukpeseraye a contract with Canyon//SRAM Generation this season, making her the first Nigerian ever to race for a UCI team. The 25-year-old raced the UCI 1.1 Trofeo Oro in Euro in her first outing for the team and has also taken part in amateur races in Spain. This is a big leap for Ukpeseraye, so it’s time for small steps.
Ukpeseraye also returned to the scene of her continental champs win last year to race the African Games in Ghana in March, where she took bronze in the road race and silver in the time-trial.
The rider who finished second to Ukpeseraye at last year’s African continental road championships is also expected to become the first woman from her nation to race for a UCI team. Awa Bamogo, from Burkina Faso, had been announced as a new signing for Torelli for 2024, but as yet has been unable to make it to Europe.
With the economic situation in and ever-changing political landscapes in west Africa, you could say that this region is one of the toughest in the world for developing a sport like cycling. But if you speak to riders from these nations, or just look at the images from the Fundsmith Tour de Lunsar, the passion for the sport is striking.
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