16th Benin cycling tour: the start is set for Monday

For six days, riders from six African countries will ride around Benin on the occasion of the 16th cycling tour of the country, which kicks off on Monday.

37 riders are on the track this Monday for the first stage of the 16th international cycling tour of Benin which will start from the town of Djougou to reach Boukombé in the north-west of Benin, two localities some 123 km apart. Scheduled to take place from 17 to 22 May, the 2021 edition of the Benin cycling tour will see the participation of six countries: Benin represented by two six-member teams, Burkina Faso with a six-member team, Côte d’Ivoire with a three-member team, Niger with a six-member team, Nigeria represented by a six-member team and finally Senegal from which four riders have come.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, expected, did not make the trip from Benin. The same goes for Cameroon, whose national cycling coach died in a traffic accident while preparing for the trip to Benin.
In detail, the teams of the different countries are as follows:

Burkina Faso

Team Manager: Jeremie Ouédraogo
1-Salifou Yarbanga
2-Souleymane Kone
3-Meofou Minoungou
4-Abdoulaye Rouamba
5-Paul Daumont
6-Harouna Ilboudo

Benin 1

Team Manager:Paden Osho
11-Ricardo Sodjede
12-Honoré Ségbegnon Kinnouhezan
13-Idiwane Ahouandjinou
14-Rémi Sowou
15-Bachiki Idrissou
16-Romuald Soudji

Benin 2

Team Manager: Charles Hasinon
21-Maruis Assogba
22-Saturnin Gbessi
23-Christian Lokossou
24-Aurel Zinsou
25-Zoukaneiri Sidi
26-Emmanuel Sagbo

Nigeria

Team Manager: Emmanuel Onasanya
31-Bethel Okeyah Temple
32-Gabriel John
33-Yusuf Abdulmalik
34-Bethel Vitalis
35-Alhassan Shamsudeen
36-Quadri Adebayo Taiwo

Ivory Coast

Team Manager: Assane Yoboué
41-Abou Sanogou
42-Kouamé Antoine Kouadio
43-Konan Oliver Kouame

Niger

Team Manager: Adamou Gado
51-Soumana Diori Boubacar
52-Saadou Faycal
53-Soumana Mahamadou
54-Gada Muhaman
55-Oumarou Moustapha
56-Ibrahim Issaka

Senegal

Team Manager : Mapenda Wade
61-Fallou Mbow
62-Bakary Seck
63-Oumar Guèye
64-Nouridine Faye

The Burkinabe team, winner of the four previous editions of the tour, is the favourite for this new edition. But the Beninese representatives will not make it easy for them. Within the two Beninese teams, some riders are to be followed closely, according to Romuald Hazoumè, president of the Beninese Cycling Federation, who told the press a few days ago: « We must count on Bachiki Idrissou, we must also count on Remi Sowou, who is impressive. He can really surprise. Romuald Soudji can also surprise, and Ricardo Sodjede who is young and who, in Mali, showed us that he is capable of entering a breakaway and of moving forward in this breakaway. He is a very young rider and very promising. Aurel Zinsou, if we go with him, because he is a sprinter. If we take him to the end, he can make a move. There is Emmanuel Sagbo who is back to his top level. These are riders who have already scored points at our level and who are still capable of winning stages ».