Benin Cycling Federation : The sporting season launched

More than a year after operations ceased due to the coronavirus,  they found the track this Sunday 4 avril 2021 on the fishing route in Fidjrossè in the city of Cotonou. And to announce the color, synonymous with the resumption of competitions, the Beninese Cycling Federation has chosen a criterium to determine the best.

Three categories that are elite men, elite women and junior men were in competition. If at the level of the Junior male category, criterion of 40 km,  Glorad Saïzonou of the SAFI club climbed to the top step of the podium after an hour 20 minutes of running with an average speed of 30 Km/h, Faridath Ahouandjinou from the same SAFI club did not make it easy for her competitors in the Elite Women category. On a criterion of 60 km,  she just dominated the whole race. This in front respectively of Aziagbé Dossou of the PACO club (2th) and Yvette Vidognonlonhoué from the Hirondelle club (3th). The show was a little more at the rendezvous among the elite men. And for good reason, on this criterion of 100 Km, the race was fiercely contested between three riders who dominated the breakaway from start to finish. Au finish, the palme d'or went to Idrissou Bachiki of the Panthères club after two hours 18 minutes with an average speed of 42,73 Km / h. “Since the start of the race, I just tried to stay in the break and finish in the lead towards the end of the race ", he confides, very happy with his victory before adding "From the start of the race we knew there was wind so we had to set the pace as a whole 45-48. The peloton had breaks, of which we left to three. It was not easy because already at 40, 50 Km, I felt a little tired ”.

Hope is allowed

Very satisfied with the outcome of this competition, the coach of the Benin national team did not hide his joy. “The first good impression is that the competitions have started. Because the lack of competitions affects Beninese runners in international races ", underlined Papoen Otcho. He thinks the race was good, but "I wasn't too happy with the breakaway". At the start of the race, he explains, “there was a breakaway of three runners, two of whom returned from Mali two weeks ago.. These two had to take the first two places. More, It was not the case. They took first and third place ”.

For its part, the president of the federation,  Romuald Hazoumè indicates that "the race was well animated with a breakaway which resisted, from beginning to end, attacking others ". He thinks it's a good thing because in a race, you need animation. And, "We are starting to see that our runners started by having the level. What remains for them in their training is the audacity to win on the outside ". He is therefore happy for this return to competition but remains very cautious about the evolution of the health situation.. For him, the opening of the sports season should not rhyme with slackening of barrier measures. "After this opening of the season, there is the tour of Benin looming on the horizon. It will be a tour which will be broadcast on Canal + and TV5 and there will be foreign teams who will come. More, before this tour, there will be one or two other races ”, he confides.

Damien TOLOMISSI