This year’s 7th edition of ‘Boucle du Coton’ wheeled off in Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso registering 64 cyclists from 10 teams in the likes of host nation Burkina
Faso, France, Togo, Ghana, Mali, Cote D’Ivoire and Gabon. Host Nation Burkina
Faso presented four teams with 8 cyclists in each Team. Ghana was represented by
six cyclists namely; Emmanuel Taylor of River Park Club (team captain), Emmanuel
Obour - City Migro, Kenneth Ameyaw - River Park (Sunyani), Joseph Kudakpor - Die
Hard. The rest are John Zormelo - Young Stars and Benjamin Logo Adom of River
Park Cycling Club (Sunyani).
The team was accompanied by officials -Williams Kyei, Secretary General of the
Ghana Cycling Federation and the Leader of Delegation, Shaaban Mohammed -
Technical Director, Seidu Sulley - Team Mechanic and Communication Director -
Dennis Moore.
Full details of each stage activity are presented to you as it happened;
STAGE 1 & 2
The first stage which comprised two events sparked off from the city of Cotton –
Zinare to Ouagadougou and covered a total toiling distance of 162 KM with an
average speed of 40km/hr. Yemeogo Amidu of Burkina Faso came first in a time of
2:05:57.
The second department of the race was a furious criterion inside Ouagadougou
over 76 KM in which the pacy Burkinabees cruised calmly to victory with a good
time of 2hrs 05 mins 57 sec. Debutants Benjamin Adom and Kenneth Ameyaw of River
Park Club received their first baptism in an international race of their lives
when they were dropped very early in the Peloton by the electric pace of their
senior riders. Indeed the unfriendly rugged weather played a bad role in this
particular stage as many cyclists consistently battled for water and squeezed
out their last breadth of sweat.
Stage Star: Joseph Kudakpor & Emmanuel Obuor
STAGE 3
The third stage rolled off from Sabou to Boromo with a total flat road distance
of 86KM and four Ghanaians Zormelo, Kudakpo, Obuor & Taylor registered their
early desire to inspire by fitting themselves into the second bunch closing in
on the finish. This stage again recorded the Burkina Team as the strongest side
as the likes of Ilboubo Harvna, Sokondo Abdou and Yemeogo Hamidou were simply
unstoppable.
Stage Star: Emmanuel Obuor
STAGE 4 & 5
Burkina Faso’s Team A continued to show dominance in the fourth race which swept
off from Boromo to the City of Dano over a distance of 93KM with diminutive but
deadly spirit kid Nikiema Aziz securing the Stage. Ghana managed to walk-over
Togo in the Team classifications.
Perhaps the toughest test for Ghana came through in the 5th stage with Team
Ghana confessing for themselves as they had to clear that tarred hurdle from
Diebougou to Hounde over 122KM. It was once again the Burkinabees who dictated
affairs – Tarbagdo Ettiene in 3:07:17, Sokondo Abdou and Sawadogo Wahab in the
same time.
For the new injections – Kenneth Ameyaw and Benjamin Logo Adom, it was an
uncommon privilege to be admitted into the National Team and for Senior riders –
John Zormelo, john Kudakpor, Emmanuel Obuor and ‘El Capito’ Emmanuel Taylor,
they would have preferred to ‘Die’ and be reincarnated later.
The series of persistent attacks and ultra aggression in break – aways from the
French and the Burkinabees were a real novel skill to the Ghanaians as they
studied with awe how these advanced cyclists drew the stings out of their legs.
It was a good test for Ghana and an indication that there is ‘life after death’
in cycling especially as these boys are battling for call-up into the final
justify your inclusion towards the upcoming All Africa Games in Maputo,
Mozambique this year.
Stage Stars: Zormelo & Emmanuel Taylor
STAGE 6
French duo Clain Mederic and Tourtelot Alexi crossed the finishing line with an
equal time of 1:48:38. It was a heated 75KM/Hr assignment from Boundoukuy to
Dedougou.
Sokondo Abdou, Minougou Oumarou and Aziz Nikiema from Burkina Faso followed suit
with the same time as Ivorian Baby Face sprint assassin - Bashiru Konte came
through to the 7th position.
Ghana However secured her first Tour jersey in the Fair play category with a
vintage power-pace ride by veteran pedalist John Zormelo of Young Stars. It was
a superb solo sweep from the experienced cyclist who forced himself into the
second bunch but was immediately sandwiched by the stubborn perseverance of the
Burkinbes and the French. Within a twinkle of a second, he was staring at his
colleagues powering past him – and it was already a 10 minute deficit of time
interval between the sober Ghanaian and the break away. The distance seemed
short and deceptive on paper but the speed work, very effective in practice.
Stage Star: Zormelo
STAGE 7
It was Ghana’s penultimate sterling performance in the Tour. Ghana gained an
amazing rapid recovery in speed and managed to secure a paramount place in the
bunch till finish. It was however the French, spearheaded by Alexis Toutelet and
a couple of Burkinabes who had already broken away.
Young Star’s John Zormelo once again brought smiles to the Team with yet another
Fair Play Jersey indicating his intense combatibivity.
Youngster Benjamin Adom Logo, who had already received his tutorials in this
Tour brought to bear with some arrogant twist and turns in the main bunch which
eventually gave him some respectable placement on the classification sheet.
Without an iota doubt, this young chap is set to become an important ingredient
into the National Team if he continues this way. The other cyclists – Kenneth
Ameyaw, John Kudakpo, Emmanuel Obuor and Emmanuel Taylor had a fairly good day.
Stage Star: Zormelo
STAGE 8
Burkina Faso’s Minougou Oumarou wared to an astonishing and scintillating
victory in a stage tagged ‘the stage of death’ which runs through the innocent
township of Banfora into the heart of Bobo Dioulasso. It covered a ferocious
distance of 126km and ended with a bitter criterion over seven laps which saw
five Ghanaians falling on the rocks because they were overlapped – leaving
Ghana’s one ranger John Zormelo in the race. The Ageing Young Stars Supremo
managed to finish the race-more than exhausted.
The “espirit du combativité”, the elegance and the strength exhibited by the
Burkinabes in this particular stage clearly tags them as the best in the
Sub-Saharan African Terrain. They demonstrated the effectiveness of Team work,
quality Pistol-Shooting antics and gross fearlessness in all spheres of the
sport. For the French, they were in a fantastic class on their own.
Stage Star: Zormelo
CLOSING CEREMONY
A classical climax of this year’s “Boucle du coton” took place at the Semaine
Nationale de la Culture with high level dignitaries present and representatives
of all twenty sponsors.
The Ultimate Yellow Jersey went to Burkina Faso’s bullish sprinter ILboubo
Haruna with Ouedraogo Rasmane picking up the Green Jersey for maximum points
accumulation.
French Team”Orleans” picked up the best Team in the Tour with quality
understanding in Team work and cohesion.
Team Ghana plugged the General des Assurance slithering Fair play Trophy as well
as the “Espirit Sportif” Trophy for best team spirit and Sportmanship.
SUMMARY
Certainly, a first class training session for the Ghanaians would ensure a
wonderful performance from these young guys. Cycling is a team work and not
individual exhibition. As the team prepares for the up-coming Unity Games, it
will surely serve as an added on of training for the selected 18 cyclists for
the final justify-your-inclusion towards the upcoming All Africa Games in
Maputo.
Excitable journalists, cycling fans and armchair pundits will agree that the
rightful support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports
Council under the colourful umbrella of Worlanyo Agra and his super team have
indisputably lifted the face of Ghana Cycling to a different level.
As reported by;
Dennis Moore
Director of Communications - GCA
From Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Email: ghcyclingass@yahoo.co.uk, cycling@sportscouncil.com.gh
Tel: +233 27 7452126/+233 24 2255616/+233 24 1242616/
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