Ouagadougou: Burkinabe sprinter Paul Daumont won the 36th Tour International du Faso by winning the prestigious 10th and final stage between Sapone and Ouagadougou (113.25km), finishing the competition in apotheosis, having already taken the yellow leader's jersey since the 2nd stage.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Paul Daumont's pedal stroke is irresistible. Despite wearing the yellow leader's jersey, he always pushes hard to challenge the competition. He couldn't possibly miss this final opportunity to showcase his talent in front of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who had come to witness the final sprint.
The insatiable Paul Daumont launched his sprint 50 meters from the finish line to beat Malian Tiemoko Diamountene, who had won last year's final stage, but in the absence of the Burkinabe rider. He covered the 113.25km in 2 hours, 30 minutes, and 5 seconds, averaging 45.275km/h, and won the 10-second bonus.
He won the competition, finishing 41 seconds ahead of his Moroccan challenger, El Alouani Driss, and 59 seconds ahead of the Belgian, Yaxano Smet. Daumont also holds the green jersey for points.
'It's been a big undertaking, especially after my accident in 2023. It's been a long road, both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, in 2024 I wasn't ready enough to take on the challenge. I've been preparing myself to come back strong enough to bring even more honor to Burkina Faso. I'm very happy to have added my name to the Tour du Faso winners' list again,' said Paul Daumont after his victory.
The Burkinabe rider also wanted to thank his teammates who did a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to allow him to win the yellow leader's jersey.
Sports Minister Roland Somda stated that "this final day was the culmination of the Burkinabe victory, achieved through Paul Daumont. We witnessed the joy that has animated the Burkinabe people from the beginning to this solemn day, which also saw the effective presence of the highest authorities who wanted and instructed that this tournament be organized as on all the others."
In the overall team standings, Burkina Faso (Team A) comes first, followed by Morocco, Belgium (Flanders), Mali, the Western Regional Team, the Central Regional Team, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo.
The 36th Tour International du Faso, which began on October 24th and saw the participation of 12 teams from ten African and European countries, concluded this Sunday, November 2nd. The cyclists traversed nine regions of Burkina Faso, covering a distance of 1,155.07 kilometers.