Nikiema wins final stage

Home rider Abdoul Aziz Nikiema won another stage for Bukino Faso on the final day of the race to the capital Ouagadougou as Julien Schick of Team Reine Blanche managed to defend the leader’s yellow jersey and secure overall victory.

The 116km final stage of the 2010 was far from a stroll to the capital. The racing started off fast and finished that way with 10 hot laps on a 5km circuit in downtown Ouagadougou.

Although Schick started the stage with a healthy one minute and 17 second lead in the overall standings, the Burkina Faso teams forced the French to defend the yellow jersey all the way to Ouagadougou. Numerous attacks were launched from the gun and the peloton immediately accelerated into a single-file. After 20km the peloton had already split, as all the leaders and overall contenders formed a selection of 30 riders. Several attacks gained small advantages, but the leaders’ peloton refused to let any of the major contenders escape.

Eventually the pace slowed a little as the peloton regrouped and Team Reine Blanche continued to set tempo. 10km outside the capital, Abdoul Aziz Nikiema and Belgium’s Christophe Premont attacked together and gained a significant advantage. With neither rider threatening the overall or the sprint classification, the stage eight runner-up and the stage seven winner managed to gain a two minute advantage coming into the chaotic outskirts of Ouagadougou. Entering the first of ten 5km downtown laps, the duo still held a two-minute lead, thrilling the thousands of spectators who lined the boulevard in front of the prime minister’s house.

With the peloton still being lead by a tireless Team Reine Blanche, Julien Schick rode ever closer to overall victory with each lap down the crowded main boulevard. Nikiema and Premont worked together smoothly, matching the pace of the chasing peloton and with two laps remaining, Eddy Merckx jumped into the Belgian team car to follow Premont and Nikiema on their penultimate lap.

Still maintaining a two minute lead as they entered the final 500 meters, Premont and Nikiema approached the line exhausted but elated. In a tremendous gesture of sportsmanship, Premont applauded as Nikiema raised his hands and took an uncontested victory. Having already won a stage, the young Belgian showed great generosity by offering Nikiema a beautiful win in front of thousands of cheering Burkina Faso fans.

As the peloton sprinted down the boulevard, Poland’s Zbigniew Gucwa claimed third place while Julien Schick finished comfortably in the peloton to seal his overall victory. Rasmané Ouedraogo maintained second place in the overall classification, securing the jersey of Best African rider.
 

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Full Results
1Abdoul Aziz Nikiema (Bur)2:52:57
2Christophe Premont (Bel) Belgium0:00:02
3Zbigniew Gucwa (Pol)0:02:01
4Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) NetherlandsRow 3 - Cell 2
5Laurent Mars (Bel) BelgiumRow 4 - Cell 2
6Joris De Boer (Ned) NetherlandsRow 5 - Cell 2
7Rasmane Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 6 - Cell 2
8Bassirou Kante (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 7 - Cell 2
9Rabaki Jeremie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 8 - Cell 2
10Oumarou Minoungou (Bur)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Abdul Wahab Sawadogo (Bur)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Guillaume Tourret (Fra)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Abdoulaye Roamba (Bur)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Oumar Sangaré (Mli) MaliRow 13 - Cell 2
15Sébastien Destruel (Fra)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Laurent Zongo (Bur)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Ben Zakalia Fofana (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 16 - Cell 2
18Leander Schreurs (Ned) NetherlandsRow 17 - Cell 2
19Johan Procee (Ned) NetherlandsRow 18 - Cell 2
20Damien Tekou (Cmr) CameroonRow 19 - Cell 2
21Martinien Tega (Cmr) CameroonRow 20 - Cell 2
22Tidiani Sanogo (Mli) MaliRow 21 - Cell 2
23Julien Schick (Fra)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Damien Leguay (Fra)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Mbaye Mor Diop (Sen) SenegalRow 24 - Cell 2
26Flaubert Douanla (Cmr) CameroonRow 25 - Cell 2
27Abdou Sokondo (Bur)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Yacouba Yameogo (Bur)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Ngock Yves Ngue (Cmr) CameroonRow 28 - Cell 2
30Hamidou Yameogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:02:06
31Becaye Traore (Sen) SenegalRow 30 - Cell 2
32Etienne Tarbagdo (Bur)Row 31 - Cell 2
33Guillaume Soula (Fra)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Noufou Minoungou (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 33 - Cell 2
35Siaka Mariko (Mli) MaliRow 34 - Cell 2
36Massamba Diouf (Sen) SenegalRow 35 - Cell 2
37Jérémy Burton (Bel) BelgiumRow 36 - Cell 2
38Bram Delie (Bel) BelgiumRow 37 - Cell 2
39Joseph Sanda (Cmr) CameroonRow 38 - Cell 2
40Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 39 - Cell 2
41Clovis Guewa (Cmr) CameroonRow 40 - Cell 2
42Boukare Kagambega (Bur)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Idrissa SAWADOGORow 42 - Cell 2
44Saidou Tall (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 43 - Cell 2
45Gueswende Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 44 - Cell 2
46Idissa Ouedraogo (Bur)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Harouna Ilboudo (Bur)0:02:13
48Wim Botman (Ned) NetherlandsRow 47 - Cell 2
49Moustapha Diaw (Sen) Senegal0:02:15
50Géoffrey Decarvalho (Fra)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Inoussa Guébré (CIv) Ivory Coast0:02:17
52Benjamin Trouche (Fra)0:02:21
53Bolodigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast0:02:01
54Nkama Kouamé (CIv) Ivory Coast0:02:49
55Aubiege Soglo (Ben) Benin0:06:43
56Dorian Albouy (Fra)0:09:01
57Yacouba Togola (Mli) Mali0:09:03
58Hamidou Diarra (Mli) Mali0:12:54
59Augustin Amoussouvi (Ben) Benin0:14:00
60Chadas Kakpo (Ben) BeninRow 59 - Cell 2
61Saliou N'dour (Sen) Senegal0:24:00
62Dodji Toulassi (Tog) TogoRow 61 - Cell 2
63Armand Kossavoun (Ben) Benin0:32:00
64Kowouvi Dossouvi (Tog) TogoRow 63 - Cell 2
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Final general classification
1Julien Schick (Fra)34:24:52
2Rasmane Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:01:17
3Damien Leguay (Fra)0:01:49
4Guillaume Soula (Fra)0:02:04
5Ngock Yves Ngue (Cmr) Cameroon0:03:05
6Laurent Mars (Bel) Belgium0:03:29
7Bassirou Kante (CIv) Ivory Coast0:03:46
8Martinien Tega (Cmr) Cameroon0:05:59
9Hamidou Yameogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:08:36
10Abdul Wahab Sawadogo (Bur)0:09:29
11Becaye Traore (Sen) Senegal0:10:21
12Joseph Sanda (Cmr) Cameroon0:13:26
13Abdoul Aziz Nikiema (Bur)0:13:43
14Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands0:23:41
15Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) Netherlands0:23:45
16Christophe Premont (Bel) Belgium0:26:33
17Zbigniew Gucwa (Pol)0:26:48
18Leander Schreurs (Ned) Netherlands0:29:17
19Oumarou Minoungou (Bur)0:29:38
20Boukare Kagambega (Bur)0:31:53
21Benjamin Trouche (Fra)0:32:37
22Clovis Guewa (Cmr) Cameroon0:33:49
23Jérémy Burton (Bel) Belgium0:40:06
24Idissa Ouedraogo (Bur)0:44:42
25Noufou Minoungou (Bur) Burkina Faso0:49:36
26Etienne Tarbagdo (Bur)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Damien Tekou (Cmr) Cameroon0:56:20
28Yacouba Yameogo (Bur)0:56:35
29Abdou Sokondo (Bur)0:58:38
30Saidou Tall (Bur) Burkina Faso0:59:53
31Gueswende Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso1:01:42
32Siaka Mariko (Mli) Mali1:02:30
33Laurent Zongo (Bur)1:02:38
34Bolodigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast1:04:37
35Joris De Boer (Ned) Netherlands1:14:09
36Harouna Ilboudo (Bur)1:15:30
37Rabaki Jeremie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso1:16:44
38Guillaume Tourret (Fra)1:17:04
39Massamba Diouf (Sen) Senegal1:18:24
40Mbaye Mor Diop (Sen) Senegal1:19:44
41Bram Delie (Bel) Belgium1:21:14
42Sébastien Destruel (Fra)1:25:23
43Tidiani Sanogo (Mli) Mali1:27:52
44Ben Zakalia Fofana (CIv) Ivory Coast1:32:13
45Moustapha Diaw (Sen) Senegal1:46:09
46Aubiege Soglo (Ben) Benin1:46:50
47Abdoulaye Roamba (Bur)1:50:33
48Idrissa SAWADOGO1:54:44
49Géoffrey Decarvalho (Fra)1:59:11
50Johan Procee (Ned) Netherlands1:59:27
51Nkama Kouamé (CIv) Ivory Coast2:07:57
52Hamidou Diarra (Mli) Mali2:12:48
53Oumar Sangaré (Mli) Mali2:18:46
54Flaubert Douanla (Cmr) Cameroon2:20:59
55Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory Coast2:25:47
56Dorian Albouy (Fra)2:33:57
57Saliou N'dour (Sen) Senegal2:37:10
58Augustin Amoussouvi (Ben) Benin2:49:22
59Dodji Toulassi (Tog) Togo3:21:08
60Chadas Kakpo (Ben) Benin3:41:20
61Inoussa Guébré (CIv) Ivory Coast4:01:07
62Kowouvi Dossouvi (Tog) Togo4:28:46
63Yacouba Togola (Mli) Mali5:09:32
64Armand Kossavoun (Ben) Benin5:56:48

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