Start given by Jean-Marie Leblanc
The start of the ninth stage was given at 8h35 to 63 riders (one non-starter : Christof Marien), watched attentively by Jean-Marie Leblanc, General Director of the Tour de France, invited to follow the last three stages of the race. Two early breakaways (numbers 32 / 34 / 102 / 126 - then numbers 64 / 110 / 102 / 126), were quickly quelled by the pack. At the back, lots of competitors are already in difficulty.


A cruising pace for the yellow jersey group
Whilst there are dropouts at the back, the pack, led by the yellow jersey and the Moroccan team, continues on its way on the sun drenched routes. The heat and the distance dissuade attacks, to such an extent that there is little action. At the back, the youngest rider in the competition, the Nigerian, Afis Bakare, is victim to a heavy fall ; but he very bravely sets off again. Twenty or so kilometres from the finish however, De Haan, Sawadogo, Milesi and Mederel break away and manage to create a gap of more than a minute.

Breakaway quelled - victory for Syne
In the streets of Ouahigouya, the four runaways battle it out but can't keep a lead on the pack, led by Morocco, Burkina Faso and Marco Polo. The men in blue are well inspired as their sprinter, in spite of great abdominal pains over the last fifty kilometres, wins the stage and takes the green jersey from the Spanish rider, Aitor Galdos. The Moroccan rider, Abdelati Saadoune, keeps the yellow jersey.

You will be a champion, Afis !

Among the numerous endearing personalities encountered during this 16th Tour du Faso, the Nigerian rider, Afis Bakare, number 112, is certainly the most emblematic of the competition. Not only is he African, but he is also the youngest rider in the pack ; to such an extent that he incarnates perfectly the exotic and pioneering spirit of the greatest cycling race on the continent. Born on the 2nd of December 1984 in Lagos State, Afis is not yet 18, which doesn't stop him from being an accomplished road racer, and an impressive track cyclist.

Although he only started cycling in February 2000, he is already a member of the Nigerian national team, proof of his early talent. In 2000, during his first competition (the National Sport Festival), he won the bronze medal in the timed race ; two years later, he won the silver medal in the individual time-trial, before winning the Kilometre (1mn 13sec) title and gold medal. His build, his muscle structure, his morphology make him a road racer, where his endurance will be a major asset. The Tour du Faso is his first international competition, but the young man appears neither overwhelmed nor tired. In the pack, although his position at the back too often keeps him far from the breakaways, he is serene; he's learning…

Listening to him, we understand that cycling is not only a pastime for him : "It's a real passion ; my ambition is to turn professional as soon as possible. If a foreign team recruits me tomorrow, like the Spanish team recruited the Burkina Faso champion, Hamado Pafadnam, I'd sign up without hesitating. I'm willing to sacrifice everything so that my dream comes true." His favourite champion ? Lance Armstrong. "I love the way he rides, his character, his build, his calm, his physical and mental force. He's a model for me !"



Asked about the origins of his passion for cycling, he replies without hesitating : "the Tour de France. It's a race that we can see on the television here. It's a total pleasure. This event brings together the greatest race in the sport I love and the champion who incarnates it, how could I not be fascinated ?" And yet, there is a long way to go before he finds the cyclists' Holy Grail, starting with a bike worthy of that name. Not that his own is out of date, but it is too heavy and not easy to manoeuvre. A lightweight model would greatly help him to reach a new level and to be at the forefront of the action. On the roads of Burkina Faso, Afis Bakare rides under the colours of a famous Australian magazine, Ride Cycling Review (www.ridemedia.com.) : his first sponsor ?