Kaya:Dutch cyclist Tom Wijfje emerged victorious in the first stage of the 37th Tour International du Faso, held on Friday. The race covered a distance of 144 kilometers from Ouagadougou to Kaya, with Wijfje clinching the yellow jersey by finishing ahead of Burkinabe contender Souleymane Koné by eight seconds.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Wijfje's team set a rapid pace from the start in Ouagadougou, executing multiple attacks to position their leader for success. This strategy proved effective during the intermediate sprint at Korsimoro, where Wijfje narrowly edged out Burkina Faso's Paul Daumont, the previous yellow jersey holder.

The stage took a decisive turn approximately 20 kilometers from the finish line when Wijfje, Koné, and South African Gustav Basson broke away from the main pack, creating a lead of nearly 50 seconds. In the final sprint, Wijfje demonstrated his sprinting capabilities, surpassing his breakaway companions to win the stage in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 10 seconds, achieving an average speed of 41.307 km/h. Koné came in second, with Basson completing the podium, and Daumont finishing fifth.

Wijfje's victory not only secured him the yellow jersey with an eight-second advantage over Koné and a 54-second lead over Daumont but also earned him the green jersey, signifying the leader in the points classification.

Additional accolades from the stage included Moroccan Youssef Bdadou winning the intermediate sprints classification, while Burkinabe Soumaïla Ilboudo claimed the white jersey as the best young rider. In the team standings, Burkina Faso's national team leads, ahead of the Belgian Flanders team.

The Tour will continue with its second stage on Saturday, a 129.75-kilometer journey between Ouagadougou and Koudougou.