Mars bounces back with stage win

Covering a modest 98.3km of flat road from Linoghin to Koupela, Stage Five of the 2010 Tour du Faso provided an opportunity for the sprinters. Unfortunately for them, Belgium’s Laurent Mars stole the show with an impressive late breakaway, followed by his teammate Christophe Premont, the former leader of the race, who emerged from the peloton to take second place.

Halfway through the race, a group of eleven riders including both European and African riders lingered off the front for over twenty kilometers, never gaining more than a few hundred meters. Team Reine Blanche reeled in the breakaway in time for their Polish sprinter, Zbigniew Gucwa, to claim the intermediate sprint.

With 45km remaining, Laurent Mars (Belgium) and Martinien Tega of Cameroon escaped the peloton. Both riders were in the top ten of the general classification, but neither was in striking distance of the yellow jersey, so the peloton permitted them to slip away.

Their lead approached a minute but dwindled perilously as the finish approached. With the duo holding only twenty seconds at the 3km banner, the day seemed destined for the sprinters. Then, Mars attacked his Cameroonian counterpart and speed solo towards the line. Tega was reabsorbed by the pack as Mars held his slim margin coming into Koupela.

Back in the field, Belgium’s Christophe Premont attacked within 1km to go. Premont opened small gap, closing down on his teammate. Coming out of the final curve with 200m to go, Mars looked over his shoulder to see his teammate. The two celebrated simultaneously as they crossed the line with the peloton sprinting behind them.

Zbigniew Gucwa of Team Reine Blanche won the field sprint for third place, ahead of best African Rasmané Ouedraogo. With few changes in the GC, Julien Schick of Team Reine Blanche keeps his yellow jersey, while second-placed Ouedraogo of the Burkina Faso National team will continue wearing the jersey of Best African Rider.

Wednesday’s Stage Five will see the Tour enter southwestern Burkina Faso, covering 128.9km from Kokologo to Boromo.

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Full Results
1Laurent Mars (Bel) Belgium2:27:41
2Christophe Premont (Bel) Belgium0:00:06
3Zbigniew Gucwa (Pol)0:00:09
4Rasmane Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 3 - Cell 2
5Jocelyn Lemperriere (Fra)Row 4 - Cell 2
6Bassirou Kante (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 5 - Cell 2
7Cédric Chartier (Fra)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) NetherlandsRow 7 - Cell 2
9Hamidou Yameogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 8 - Cell 2
10Abdoulaye Roamba (Bur)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Laurent Zongo (Bur)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Bram Delie (Bel) BelgiumRow 11 - Cell 2
13Sébastien Destruel (Fra)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Damien Tekou (Cmr) CameroonRow 13 - Cell 2
15Abdoul Aziz Nikiema (Bur)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Abdul Wahab Sawadogo (Bur)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Tidiani Sanogo (Mli) MaliRow 16 - Cell 2
18Becaye Traore (Sen) SenegalRow 17 - Cell 2
19Ben Zakalia Fofana (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 18 - Cell 2
20Jérémy Burton (Bel) BelgiumRow 19 - Cell 2
21Damien Leguay (Fra)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Mbaye Mor Diop (Sen) SenegalRow 21 - Cell 2
23Siaka Mariko (Mli) MaliRow 22 - Cell 2
24Julien Schick (Fra)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Flaubert Douanla (Cmr) CameroonRow 24 - Cell 2
26Malik Thiam (Sen) SenegalRow 25 - Cell 2
27Abdou Sokondo (Bur)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Noufou Minoungou (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 27 - Cell 2
29Ngock Yves Ngue (Cmr) CameroonRow 28 - Cell 2
30Martinien Tega (Cmr) CameroonRow 29 - Cell 2
31Joseph Sanda (Cmr) CameroonRow 30 - Cell 2
32Dodji Toulassi (Tog) TogoRow 31 - Cell 2
33Yacouba Yameogo (Bur)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Guillaume Tourret (Fra)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Géoffrey Decarvalho (Fra)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Wim Botman (Ned) NetherlandsRow 35 - Cell 2
37Leander Schreurs (Ned) NetherlandsRow 36 - Cell 2
38Clovis Guewa (Cmr) CameroonRow 37 - Cell 2
39Gueswende Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 38 - Cell 2
40Oumar Sangaré (Mli) MaliRow 39 - Cell 2
41Guillaume Soula (Fra)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Sawadogo (Bur)Row 41 - Cell 2
43Inoussa Guébré (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 42 - Cell 2
44Saidou Tall (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 43 - Cell 2
45Boukare Kagambega (Bur)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Benjamin Trouche (Fra)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Idissa Ouedraogo (Bur)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Oumarou Minoungou (Bur)0:00:25
49Bolodigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast0:00:09
50Joris De Boer (Ned) Netherlands0:02:10
51Etienne Tarbagdo (Bur)0:03:10
52Hamidou Diarra (Mli) Mali0:04:06
53Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 52 - Cell 2
54Yacouba Togola (Mli) Mali0:04:07
55Saliou N'dour (Sen) Senegal0:04:09
56Aubiege Soglo (Ben) BeninRow 55 - Cell 2
57Johan Procee (Ned) Netherlands0:04:11
58Mounir Khalil (Fra)Row 57 - Cell 2
59Edem Daku (Tog) TogoRow 58 - Cell 2
60Rabaki Jeremie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina FasoRow 59 - Cell 2
61Nkama Kouamé (CIv) Ivory CoastRow 60 - Cell 2
62Kowouvi Dossouvi (Tog) TogoRow 61 - Cell 2
63Massamba Diouf (Sen) Senegal0:04:29
64Moustapha Diaw (Sen) Senegal0:07:51
65Dorian Albouy (Fra)Row 64 - Cell 2
66Armand Kossavoun (Ben) Benin0:20:16
67Chadas Kakpo (Ben) BeninRow 66 - Cell 2
68Harouna Ilboudo (Bur)Row 67 - Cell 2
69Augustin Amoussouvi (Ben) Benin0:33:32
70Alphonse Ntcha Mpo (Ben) BeninRow 69 - Cell 2
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General classification after stage 5
1Julien Schick (Fra)17:36:39
2Rasmane Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:01:17
3Damien Leguay (Fra)0:01:44
4Guillaume Soula (Fra)0:01:55
5Ngock Yves Ngue (Cmr) Cameroon0:03:05
6Laurent Mars (Bel) Belgium0:03:31
7Bassirou Kante (CIv) Ivory Coast0:03:55
8Abdul Wahab Sawadogo (Bur)0:04:02
9Hamidou Yameogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:04:29
10Martinien Tega (Cmr) Cameroon0:08:47
11Becaye Traore (Sen) Senegal0:10:16
12Joseph Sanda (Cmr) Cameroon0:10:46
13Abdoul Aziz Nikiema (Bur)0:19:01
14Christophe Premont (Bel) Belgium0:22:28
15Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands0:23:30
16Peter Van Agtmaal (Ned) Netherlands0:23:47
17Zbigniew Gucwa (Pol)0:24:32
18Oumarou Minoungou (Bur)0:25:25
19Leander Schreurs (Ned) Netherlands0:26:36
20Clovis Guewa (Cmr) Cameroon0:26:47
21Jérémy Burton (Bel) Belgium0:29:32
22Benjamin Trouche (Fra)0:31:55
23Boukare Kagambega (Bur)0:33:41
24Idissa Ouedraogo (Bur)0:34:42
25Jocelyn Lemperriere (Fra)0:34:51
26Noufou Minoungou (Bur) Burkina Faso0:38:38
27Etienne Tarbagdo (Bur)0:41:57
28Yacouba Yameogo (Bur)0:46:06
29Laurent Zongo (Bur)0:46:12
30Ben Zakalia Fofana (CIv) Ivory Coast0:47:33
31Siaka Mariko (Mli) Mali0:48:03
32Abdou Sokondo (Bur)0:48:46
33Saidou Tall (Bur) Burkina Faso0:48:52
34Bolodigui Ouattara (CIv) Ivory Coast0:49:42
35Damien Tekou (Cmr) Cameroon0:50:19
36Rabaki Jeremie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:52:13
37Guillaume Tourret (Fra)0:54:20
38Gueswende Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso0:55:28
39Cédric Chartier (Fra)0:56:08
40Sébastien Destruel (Fra)1:03:00
41Massamba Diouf (Sen) Senegal1:05:45
42Joris De Boer (Ned) Netherlands1:06:20
43Moustapha Diaw (Sen) Senegal1:07:09
44Malik Thiam (Sen) Senegal1:09:52
45Bram Delie (Bel) Belgium1:10:53
46Harouna Ilboudo (Bur)1:13:05
47Mbaye Mor Diop (Sen) Senegal1:14:17
48Aubiege Soglo (Ben) Benin1:23:20
49Tidiani Sanogo (Mli) Mali1:23:21
50Sawadogo (Bur)1:35:17
51Hamidou Diarra (Mli) Mali1:35:51
52Abdoulaye Roamba (Bur)1:36:13
53Johan Procee (Ned) Netherlands1:37:35
54Oumar Sangaré (Mli) Mali1:43:54
55Dorian Albouy (Fra)1:45:47
56Géoffrey Decarvalho (Fra)1:46:59
57Saliou N'dour (Sen) Senegal1:49:58
58Mounir Khalil (Fra)1:52:02
59Nkama Kouamé (CIv) Ivory Coast1:58:54
60Edem Daku (Tog) Togo2:02:36
61Mamadou Coulibaly (CIv) Ivory Coast2:07:08
62Flaubert Douanla (Cmr) Cameroon2:11:47
63Dodji Toulassi (Tog) Togo2:15:35
64Inoussa Guébré (CIv) Ivory Coast2:17:32
65Augustin Amoussouvi (Ben) Benin2:23:04
66Yacouba Togola (Mli) Mali2:35:42
67Chadas Kakpo (Ben) Benin2:41:25
68Kowouvi Dossouvi (Tog) Togo3:02:29
69Armand Kossavoun (Ben) Benin3:23:36
70Alphonse Ntcha Mpo (Ben) Benin3:37:59

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