Ouagadougou — Paul Daumont of Burkina Faso secured the coveted yellow jersey at the conclusion of the 34th Tour international du Faso on Sunday, outperforming Belgian cyclist Wouters Rutger, while the final stage was claimed by Moroccan Achraf Ed-Doghmy on Avenue Thomas Sankara, as observed by AIB in the nation's capital.

According to Burkina Information Agency, This marks Paul Daumont's inaugural triumph in this competition, a significant feat in the event's history. Throughout the final leg of the race from Saponé to Ouagadougou, a 103.100km stretch that concluded with a criterion in the capital, Daumont adhered closely to his team's strategy, maintaining a vigilant watch over his close contender, Wouters Rutger.

At the end of the race, an elated Daumont described the Tour as a lengthy and arduous endeavor, expressing immense satisfaction at maintaining the lead from the first stage to the end with the support of his team.

Wouters Rutger, who finished second overall and whose team was weakened by illness, acknowledged the day's challenges, especially during the critical final sprint where he finished fifth.

The fight for the yellow jersey saw Rutger gain a slight edge by securing three seconds in the stage's initial intermediate sprint. However, with a reduced team, sustaining a lead proved difficult.

In the meantime, the Moroccan competitor Achraf Ed-Doghmy leveraged the race's dynamics to demonstrate his prowess, outpacing Ivorian Abou Sanogo and fellow Moroccans Adil El Arbaoui and El Houcaine Sabbahi in a fierce sprint. Ed-Doghmy clocked the 103.100km distance in 2h19mn12sec, averaging 44.439km/h, with Rutger and Daumont trailing closely in the fifth and sixth spots.

Daumont's victory is a notable triumph for Burkina Faso, marking the country's return to the top spot since Mathias Sorgho's win in 2018.

According to Martin Sawadogo, the national technical director of the Burkinabè Cycling Federation, Paul Daumont has demonstrated considerable potential in the semi-professional 2.2 racing category and efforts will be directed towards elevating him to the professional 2.1 level.

The 2023 edition of the Tour du Faso featured 71 cyclists from 13 teams representing 11 countries across Africa and Europe, covering a grueling 1187.600km over ten stages and traversing seven regions of Burkina Faso. The previous edition's yellow jersey was claimed by German Daniel Bichlmann.