Cycling - Tough Start for Ghana At Tour Du Faso

By Michael D. Abayateye

The national cycling team, the Golden Pedals are gradually warming up into the Tour Du Faso international cycling competition ongoing at Burkina Faso. At the end of stage five on Tuesday, a 145.6Km race from Yako to Zinaire,

Anthony Boakye gave the Ghana a lift with an impressive time of 3:36.21 seconds to settle for the 18th position. Solomon Tagoe also ended the race in the 31st position with his first major podium call for fair play.

His compatriot, Gabriel Tettey settled for the 39th position with 3:36.28 seconds. Seventy riders started the race but the number reduced to 62 when stage six took off Wednesday from Sabou to Koudougou covering a distance of 144km.

Meanwhile after the stage five competition, De Boes Timmy of Team TEF from the Netherlands has taken a commanding stage win in a time of 3:36.21.

Keller Hermann of German side TEW came second by the same time build up and Stenekes Steuer of Team GCT placed third in the same time build up.

It was an intense race, characterised by some notorious attacks upfront especially from the European athletes who gave each other a run for their money.

The breakaway was always initiated by the Belgians who are certainly a force in this tour.

Currently, the difference between the yellow jersey holder Matthias Sogho and the German De Boes Timmy is close to 22 seconds, an indication that the remaining stages will be keenly contested.

With Ghana still placed on the 10th position in the General Classification, an enhanced team work will do the team a greater good on the log sheet.

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