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| Friday, November 1 2002 |
| Stage 3 | Po > Kombissiri - 105,5 km |
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| Syne, a great sprinter… |
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 After
a first night at the bivouac, the competitors of the 16th Tour
du Faso seem to be suffering from the efforts of the first two
days. The Marco Polo team, all dominating last year, claimed
its first stage victory thanks to the burst of speed from its
sprinter, Julien Syne, a Belgian who lives in California. The
Moroccan rider, Saadoune, very serene today, keeps the yellow
jersey, and Saïdou Rouamba, the Burkina Faso rider, wins
the green jersey, whilst his compatriot Jean Ibouldo, instigator
of a brilliant breakaway, wins the hot points and the fighting
spirit jersey. The race is livening up and the Burkina Faso
riders are again in the forefront of the action ! Viva Ouaga
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 Early
morning skirmishes
The start of the third stage was given at 8h10 to 79 riders.
Just like the first two days, there were numerous attacks,
well held back by the pack. The Burkina Faso rider, Jean Ibouldo,
had the brilliant idea of profiting from the presence, right
in the middle of the route, of a broken down heavy weight
truck (see photo). Soon joined by eight other riders, their
adventure terminated at Km 33.
The pack explodes - the yellow jersey
overrides
Over such a short distance (105,5 km), the riders race away
and the pack, progressing at great speed (overall stage average
speed : 42,5 km/h), loses numerous competitors on the way
to Kombissiri. Instigator of a long solo raid, the French
rider, Sébastien Lebaron, must be credited with an
exemplary panache.  The
Burkina Faso rider, Jean Ibouldo, is no less worthy of the
fighting spirit prize, having led the chase behind the leader
before setting off alone, holding out against the yellow jersey
group for more than 30 kilometres. But the 30 or so men lead
the race with ardour and the hero of the day is overtaken
in the ultimate hectometres.
Lionel Syne, the will to win from California
The sprint of the leading group revealed the vitality and
the power of Lionel Syne, a young Belgian who lives in California,
where he was spotted by the Marco Polo team during the Sea
Otter Classic. Powerful, agile, swift, the stage winner has
style. On a bike and on the podium…
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 Marco
Polo, a nursery for baby champions…
No matter which cyclist it honours, the yellow jersey transforms
the rider who wears it. The Dutch rider, Joost Legtenberg, winner
of the 2001 Tour du Faso with the Marco Polo team, can testify
to this fantastic experience. His victory, followed by lots
of media coverage*, changed the course of his life. Expressions
of sympathy that he received back in the Netherlands, along
with the numerous appeals of which he was the object (interviews,
an invitation to follow a stage of the Tour de France, a report
in the Official Tour de France Programme) prove that the yellow
jersey, whatever the race, remains the symbol of success for
a cycling champion.
 For
the men in blue, 2002 will probably not be as prolific. With
the exception of Joost, none of the riders who were successful
in 2001 have returned. The team is incontestably weakened, especially
as four of its members are suffering from intestinal pains and
headaches… "When I won, it was at the end of a year
entirely devoted to cycling, the leader of the Dutch team explains
to us. And then, having obtained my marketing diploma, I started
a job. The 2001 Tour du Faso finished on a Sunday and I started
my job the following Wednesday. It was difficult, in these conditions,
to train regularly. I came here, to defend my title, of course,
but with the conviction that it would be very difficult. This
year, the Moroccan team seem unbeatable and the Africans are
much better prepared, setting an unrelenting pace to the race.
On the first day, it was too fast for me** and I couldn't keep
up. But I haven't had my last word !"
Lionel Syne's victory in the third stage reflects the returning
form of the Dutch fighters, a cosmopolitan team for the 2002
edition, including a Belgian and a Burkina Faso rider. Remko
Kramer, rider n°4, but also an executive in the Marco Polo
structure, confirms that the victory of Joost Legtenberg was
a great advertising scoop : "we haven't found a sponsor,
but the notoriety of our team has soared.  We're
launching a line of cycling clothes and bikes under the Marco
Polo label; thanks to this media coverage, we hope to succeed.
Sportingly, our objective is to serve as an "incubator
for champions". We have among us a superb athlete from
Hong-Kong, Kam Po Wong, and we believe that he could become
a great champion, like the Australian Cadel Evans, pink jersey
holder in the last Giro. Kam is an exceptional climber, who
could wreak havoc in a mountain stage… To discover a gem
of a rider and to carry him to the summits of international
cycling, at the same time continuing cycling on the five continents,
this is a project that we're all very attached to !"
On the routes of the Faso, the explorers of the Marco Polo Cycling
Club are the vectors of an image of cycling that is liked, where
courage, solidarity and the spirit of adventure are sacred.
May they for a long time to come continue to win some of the
most beautiful "world tours"…
* On the 1st of January 2002, all members of the Marco Polo
team took part in a race in Hong Kong. On getting up, one of
the riders, turning on the television, had the nice surprise
of seeing the Sierra Productions report, concerning the victory
of Legtenberg in the 2001 Tour du Faso, broadcast in Africa,
Europe, the USA and Asia. A collective joy and a great laugh
!
** The 140 kilometres of the first stage Ziniaré-Koudougou
were covered at an average speed of 45 km/h.
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Abdelati Saadoune |
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Saïdou Rouamba |
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| The riders list |
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| Stage |
• Individual time
• Individual points
• Team |
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| Overall |
• Individual time
• Individual points
• Team |
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| 1 |
Wednesday, october 30 |
141,5 km |
| Ziniare - Koudougou |
| 2 |
Thursday, october 31 |
142,5 km |
| Ouagadougou - Po |
| 3 |
Friday, november 1 |
105,5 km |
| Po - Kombissiri |
| 4 |
Saturday, november 2 |
136 km |
| Kokologo - Boromo |
| 5 |
Sunday, november 3 |
121,5 km |
| Hounde - Bobo Dioulasso |
| 6 |
Monday, november 4 |
86,5 km |
| Bobo Dioulasso - Banfora |
| R |
Tuesday, november 5 |
- |
| Ouagadougou |
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| 7 |
Wednesday, november 6 |
138,5 km |
| Ouagadougou - Koupela |
| 8 |
Thursday, november 7 |
82 km |
| Koupela - Fada N’Gourma |
| 9 |
Friday, november 8 |
152 km |
| Laye - Ouahigouya |
| 10 |
Saturday, november 9 |
72 km |
| Ouahigouya - Yako |
| 11 |
Sunday, november 10 |
127,5 km |
| Yako - Ouagadougou |
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