Van Agtmaal tops all-European breakaway

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Dutch rider Peter Van Agtmaal out-sprinted his all-European breakaway to claim the first stage, the race lead and the points classification jersey on a hot 129.5km stage from Bousse to Ouahigouya.

Van Agtmaal bested Belgian Laurent Mars and Guillaume Soula (Team Reine Blanche) in the three-man dash for the line.

The Tour du Faso started off hot, fast, and nervous. As stage one departed Boussé, the race began in typically African racing style, with a fury of attacks that set the tone for the rest of the day.

Leading into the first sprint point of the day at the 25k mark, the field split into three groups. After the first sprint, a group of 18 formed at the front, driven primarily by the teams from Burkina Faso, France, Belgium, and Holland.

The peloton performed a lackluster chase as the mid-day heat took its toll on the athletes. The lead group maintained a lead that hovered around three minutes, gaining additional time as they approached the finish. The peloton broke into numerous groups while three riders attacked the front breakaway.

Peter Van Agtmaal (Holland), Laurent Mars (Belgium), and Guillaume Soula (France) opened a small gap that they maintained to the line. Van Agtmaal claimed the sprint ahead of his European compatriots, earning both the yellow jersey the green points jersey.

Rasmané Oudraogo came in sixth place to claim the jersey of Best African Rider. With three Burkina teams in the race, the next stages promise heated competition as the local riders try to reclaim the yellow jersey.