The 18th Cameroon international cycling caravan took place on June 7th in Bagangte, West region of the country for the the 4th lap of the competition. Kickstarted on June 4th, in Douala, a number of recors has being made.
In the peloton that will start the Tour of Cameroon on Saturday in Douala, three Africans are to be followed. The Cameroonian and title holder Clovis Kamzong, the Burkinabe Souleymane Koné and the Ivorian Cissé Issiaka. But the Bulgarian Andreev Yordan, who finished second last year, could be a good contender.
The 2022 International Cycling Tour of Cameroon which started on Saturday 4 June. The race kicked off in the metropolis of Douala, the regional capital of Littoral. The programme includes a 123.3 km closed criterium. The road promises an electric reunion between some of the race’s great regulars. Kamzong Abossolo, a title to defend In the field of 60 riders expected on the start line, three Africans will have their say. The first of them is the Cameroonian Clovis Kamzong Abossolo.
Winner of the previous edition of the Tour, the rider of the SNH Vélo Club team is aiming for a third title after 2015 and 2021. The yellow jersey of the 2017 Chantal Biya Grand Prix has a lot to offer. He is good at time trials, as well as being strong in the mountains. He has the advantage of knowing the roads of the country, made of false ascending and descending flats, and rough passes.
He is also in good shape: Kamzong Abossolo just came back from the Tour of Benin where he finished fourth in the race. Moreover, if his team is riding for him, there is no risk that he will get lost on his way to victory. Souleymane Koné, the troublemaker ?
The second African to follow is Souleymane Koné.
He is the new strongman of the Burkina Faso team, which can no longer rely on its natural leader Paul Daumont. The latter has been in the wilderness for a long time. Hopes are now pinned on Koné who has proven himself throughout 2021: he finished 2nd in the Tour of Benin, 3rd in the Tour of Mali and 3rd in the Tour of Faso. In Cameroon, he will want to do better, that’s for sure. Cissé Issaka, the outsider An expert in the Tour of Cameroon since 2012, Cissé Issaka is once again the best Ivorian hope of this Tour.
The runner-up of the 2019 edition and yellow jersey of the Tour de Côte d’Ivoire 2020, 4th of the Tour du Faso 2021 is an experienced rider. At club level, he wears the amateur colours of Sprinter Nice Metropole. Before that, he rode for the Team Cycliste Azuréen with whom he competed in several European competitions. In particular: the Tour de la CABA, the Grand Prix de Pégomas, the Tour de Mareuil-Verteillac-Ribérac and the Grand Prix de Charvieu-Chavagneux between 2018 and 2019. Andreev Yordan, the man to beat For his first participation in the Tour of Cameroon last year, Andreev Yordan finished second in the race, only 12 seconds behind Cameroonian Clovis Kamzong.
This year, the Bulgarian cyclist from the French team Martigues Sports wants to add his name to the list of winners. He already knows the Cameroonian roads and that can be an additional asset for the 27 year old. Back from the GP Adria Mobil in Slovenia where he finished on the tenth step, Andreev Yordan is particularly dangerous. He has experienced riders in his team who will not hesitate to do the job for him.
This year, Africa is represented by eight teams in the Tour of Cameroon, which celebrates its 18th edition. These are the host country (2 teams), Rwanda, DR Congo, Morocco, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. France has entered two clubs: Martigues Sports and Club de la Défense. The race will take place in eight stages, covering a total distance of 1090 km.
