Burkina Faso: Tour du Faso 2023 – A resilience challenge in the world of cycling
Three days ahead of the kick-off of the 34th edition of the Tour du Faso, the national organizing committee held a press conference on October 17, 2023, in Ouagadougou to present the preparations for the event, which is themed around resilience this year.
The organizing committee confirmed the participation of 15 teams for this edition, with 12 coming from various countries such as Mali, Niger, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria, Belgium, Ghana, Morocco, Guinea, Rwanda, and Togo.
Burkina Faso will be represented by three distinct teams: the national team, the regional team from the central area, and the regional team from the west. However, in accordance with UCI rules, Burkinabe teams are not allowed to race for one another.
Martin Sawadogo, the technical director of the Burkinabe Athletics Federation, explained that in case of technical issues, riders cannot swap bikes between teams.
The Burkinabe teams, each consisting of six riders and three support staff, have started their training camp in preparation for the Tour.
While the main route has not undergone major changes, some stages, such as the 6th (Ouagadougou – Koudougou) and the 7th (Koudougou – Pâ), have seen adjustments.
Regarding the budget, although there is still a shortfall of 200 million CFA francs to be raised, the national organizing committee is optimistic.
Alexandre Yougbaré, the committee’s vice president, emphasized that despite the withdrawal of some French companies that typically sponsored the Tour du Faso, all measures will be taken to ensure the event proceeds as planned.
The press conference also served as the occasion to present the various jerseys and scarves of the Tour.
The yellow jersey will reward the winner in the general time classification, the green jersey will be awarded for the overall points classification, while the Burkina-colored jersey will honor the top local rider.
Other distinctions, such as the hotspots jersey sponsored by the United States, will also be awarded.
The 34th edition of the Tour du Faso aims to be a symbol of resilience in response to the current security situation.
Alexandre Yougbaré reassured of the organizing committee’s commitment and the higher authorities to ensure the smooth running of the event despite security challenges.
The official presentation of the Tour du Faso 2023 teams will take place on October 26, 2023, in Ouagadougou, and the competition will run from October 26 to November 5, 2023.
Maurice k. Zongo
