In short
| Stage winner | Herman CONAN |
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David VERDONCK |
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David VERDONCK |
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Wahab SAWADOGO A. |
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Martinien TEGA |
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Wahab SAWADOGO A. |
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Martinien TEGA |
| » Jerseys' description | |
All classifications
| Stage |
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• Individual time |
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| Overall |
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• Individual time • Individual points • Best team |
Stage by stage
| 1 | Wednesday 25 October | 91 km |
| Ouagadougou > Manga | ||
| 2 | Thursday 26 October | 121 km |
| Manga > (Pô) > Tiébélé | ||
| 3 | Friday 27 October | 140 km |
| Pô > Ouagadougou | ||
| 4 | Saturday 28 October | 129 km |
| Boussé > Ouahigouya | ||
| 5 | Sunday 29 October | 150 km |
| Yako > Ziniaré | ||
| 6 | Tuesday 31 October | 136 km |
| Kokologo > Boromo | ||
| 7 | Wednesday 1 November | 83.5 km |
| Bobo Dioulasso > Banfora | ||
| 8 | Thursday 2 November | 121 km |
| Bobo Dioulasso > Bobo Dioulasso | ||
| 9 | Friday 3 November | 115 km |
| Boromo > (Sabou) > Koudougou | ||
| 10 | Saturday 4 November | 96 km |
| Linoghin > Pouytenga | ||
| 11 | Sunday 5 November | 88 km |
| Loumbila (Barrage) > Ouagadougou | ||
| Total | 1270.5 km | |
The race
Tuesday 31 October 2006| stage 6 | Kokologo > Boromo - 136 km |  |
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Upset in Boromo
The sixth stage of the Tour du Faso saw a major change in the overall standings. By neglecting their responsibilities when a serious group of riders including some of their team mates broke away, the three leaders of the event lost all changes of finishing on the podium next Sunday. The Brittany team captured its third stage success thanks to Herman Conan, while Belgian David Verdonck captured the yellow jersey.
The film of the stage
Barboza counter attacks
The rest day seemed to have slowed down the bodies. At the beginning of the stage, attempts failed to take place and it wasn’t until kilometre 10 that a group managed to take off. Among the fourteen riders was Abdul Wahab Sawadogo, less than two minutes away from Saadoune overall and dangerous enough to stir up the Moroccans vigilance. Instead of that a gap started growing significantly and rapidly: while Barboza took off for a long counter-attack (km 15), the pack remained two minutes adrift.
A dangerous game for the leaders
It wasn’t until kilometre 50 that the Franco-Senegalese managed to join the leading group. Behind the pack started increasing its pace and caused quite some problems for the race leaders. A new contingent of counter-attackers with the likes of Jérémie Ouedraogo (Bur) and Lionel Syne (Bel), saw the front group grow to 23 riders and a reaction on behalf of the yellow jersey with only one team mate by his side failed to come. His immediate followers in the overall, Rashad (Egy) and Sanda (Cam), were just as ineffective. A dangerous game had started for the favourites.
Four minute gap
While looking at each other, the event leaders forgot the most important thing: the leading group that had welcomed another eight riders and carried on increasing its lead. After 90 kilometres of riding, the yellow jersey group’s deficit had reached four minutes. Things were on the other hand looking very good for the Belgians (Syne, Verdonck), the Cameroon riders (Tega), and the Burkina Stallions (Sawadogo).
Four men in the lead
At the 100 kilometre mark, Hernan Conan (Fra / Bretagne) and Hesham Abdel Motelbe (Egy) decided to try their chance and took off. Mickaël Barboza who certainly didn’t want to have any regrets after all his efforts managed to join them a few kilometres later and took with him Florent Gohier (Fra / Sarthe). The four-man group enjoyed a minute’s advantage with 10 kilometres to go. A sufficient lead seeing that their 27 followers failed to really chase them. Adelati Saadoune was then already five minutes behind!
Conan the strongest
In the final part, Hernan Conan remembered that his sprinter’s legs could take him to glory and forgot about his fall during stage 2 that almost forced him to quit. The Frenchman eventually beat Florent Gohier in the last hundred metres. By crossing the line 34 seconds later, the Belgians finished off a fine day. Verdonck indeed claimed the yellow jersey with a 9†lead over Tega. Abdul Wahab Sawadogo, who made the best of his day by clinching points at the intermediate sprints will be wearing pink tomorrow and is now only 1’28’’ behind the race leader. Barboza will have to settle with a well deserved fighting-spirit jersey.
LE MAGAZINE
With the strength of the ancestors
The benefits of the rest day often come from the possibility to spare the bodies and why not enjoy a longer night’s sleep. The Burkina riders however woke up early to try and find a solution to their problems: receiving a blessing from the King of the Mossi, largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso. Converted to rationalism due to the harsh reality of road and muscle cramps, they didn’t expect a mystical operation on his behalf concerning the overall positions of Gueswende or Abdul Wahab Sawadogo (respectively 58’’ and 1’58’’ behind Saadoune), but would have certainly not neglected such an invitation: “it’s a privilege to be able to meet himâ€, confirmed Jérémie Ouedraogo when arriving at the palace.
The Mogho Naba Baongho, traditional chief, is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mossi tribe, (Wed Raogo, that became Ouedraogo), that has been living in the area ever since the 11th century. This prestigious filiation doesn’t give any administrative or political authority but the respect of the seven million members of the community is enough to enjoy a fair bit of power. The Mogho is at the summit of a hierarchy that starts with family and than spreads to ‘ministers’ that have nothing to do with the government, and village chiefs. It incarnates for instance the transmission of values and customs, knowledge and wisdom of all the Mossi ancestors: “because we have that sense of solidarity and community, details Jérémie. For example with the scares that we have on our faces, I can recognise a Mossi wherever I find myself in the World and I can know where he comes from.â€
To be presented to the King, that some also call Emperor, the protocol can seem rather long. Rouamba and the others had indeed taken with them a goat to offer while the representatives of the other areas of the country who are not Mossi insisted on offering a friendly “envelop†to the 37th heir of the throne. During the audience, he congratulated the riders and “wished health and courage to all the competitors. All our elders and the traditional chiefs will bring their support to the championsâ€. The short question and answer session didn’t give any details on the Mogho’s knowledge of cycling or his preferences. “May the best man winâ€, he eventually mentioned knowing just too well that all the Burkina winners of the Tour are the Mossi ethnic group.
Without however reaching informality, the atmosphere loosened up around the former goal-keeper when time came to visit his small sports museum. Several trophies could be admired as well as a yellow jersey signed by Richard Virenque who had also come here back in 2003, a picture with Claude Leroy, former football coach of the Senegal national team. In this familiar universe for all sports fanatics, distances seem to reduce.
No-one will ever know if this visit like no other will have an influence on the determination of the Burkina riders for the remaining part of the Tour. But the energy shown between Kogologo and Boromo allowed Abdul Wahab Sawadogo to see his future differently. He is now only 1’28’’ behind Verdonck. All is still possible.