Ouagadougou: The Burkina Faso Cycling Stallions have faced challenges in the 35th Tour du Faso, reaching the halfway mark without a stage victory. Despite these setbacks, the team remains hopeful to change their fortunes in the upcoming stages of the competition.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Daouda Congo, a rider from the Centre regional team, expressed cautious optimism after the 5th stage, hinting at a possible recovery of the yellow jersey. However, he acknowledged that the teams participating in this year’s tour are in superior form, and Burkina Faso’s preparation has not been optimal.

Saturnin Yaméogo from the national A team maintains a positive outlook, stating that the team is committed to improving their strategies and performance to aim for stage victories. He noted the increased competition level due to the participation of stronger international teams, which has made the contest more challenging.

Martin Sawadogo, the national technical director of the Burkinabe Cycling Federation, h
ighlighted the intense competition from teams such as Morocco, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Cameroon. He pointed out that the tour’s pace has been exceptionally high, with an average speed of almost 46 km/h. Despite this, Sawadogo remains hopeful that with dedication and strategic adjustments, the team could still secure a stage win or even contend for the yellow jersey.

The absence of last year’s yellow jersey winner, Paul Daumont, has been felt within the team, which currently lacks a definitive leader. Bamassi Soulama, from the West regional team, is currently the best-placed Burkinabe rider, sitting in 5th position, 2 minutes and 25 seconds behind the Moroccan leader, El Kouradji Mohcine.