Kombissiri: Burkina Faso national team rider Saturnin Yaméogo came close to clinching victory in the 9th stage of the Tour du Faso on Saturday. The stage, which stretched from Kombissiri to Kaya over a distance of 145.800 kilometers, saw Yaméogo leading initially but ultimately being surpassed by Russian cyclist Artem Gomozkov.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Yaméogo managed to secure the first hot point on Avenue Thomas but ceded the second intermediate sprint to Cameroonian Auriol Steeve Ngueguim. Both riders displayed commendable effort since the race commenced in Kombissiri. However, it was during the last hot spot at Korsimoro that Yaméogo attempted to outshine Ngueguim, with Russian Gomozkov closely observing and preparing his decisive move.
In a post-race statement, Yaméogo expressed his disappointment, saying, “It was very difficult because we had a long breakaway and we agreed to ride, but three people joined us afterward including the Russian and the Moroccan yellow jersey. The yellow jer
sey fell and the Russian Artem Gomozkov took advantage of it to place an attack that sank us all to open the way for him to the stage victory.”
Russian rider Anton Popov also joined the leading group to compete in the final sprint and successfully claimed the second position at the finish line. Artem Gomozkov completed the Kombissiri to Kaya stage, covering 141.3 kilometers in 3 hours, 27 minutes, and 8 seconds, achieving an average speed of 40.930 km/h. Moroccan cyclist Ibrahim Essabahy finished in third place, followed by Burkinabe Saturnin Yaméogo.
The Stallions Cyclistes promise an exhilarating performance in the upcoming 10th and final stage, which will take place on Avenue Thomas Sankara. The stage will run from Boussé to Ouagadougou, covering a distance of 119.800 kilometers, including a criterium in the capital’s arteries.
The yellow jersey remains securely with Moroccan El Kouraji Mohcine, while the green jersey for points now belongs to Russian Artem Gomozkov. The intermediate sprint jersey has b
een claimed by Russian Stash Mamyr. The Tour du Faso, which started on October 25th, is set to conclude with its final stage tomorrow, November 3rd.