Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
The first lap of the race today, Saturday, June 03, 2023 between Figuil and Garoua (103 kilometres) in the North Region ended with the victory of Algerian cyclist, Hamza Yacine.
Michel Boris, Tientcheu of the Cameroon national team at the end of the first lap was ranked 4th.
“We will work in synergy to be able to win this tour,” Michel Boris Tientcheu said.
The Cameroonian cyclist won the Blue Jersey set aside by Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel), and reserved for the best Cameroonian.
The race returned to Garoua for the first time in a decade and the population came out in their numbers to cheer out the cyclists.
From the June 3-11, the cyclists will ride through the country in eight laps for a total distance of 903 kilometres.
This year’s race brings together teams from host nation Cameroon, Rwanda, Benin, Morocco, Algeria, France and the Netherlands.
Before the first lap on Saturday, the official presentation of the teams took place at the Garoua ceremonial ground.
CAMTEL on the course
For the return of the race in Garoua for the first time in ten years, the population was eager to live the event as they came out massively on Friday, June 2 for the presentation of the teams.
“We are delighted to be here in Garoua after 10 years of absence. I am very satisfied because it is important to the entire region,” says Governor Jean Abate Edi’i.
“We have taken measures to ensure security in all the 10 laps of the tour.”
The bright weather that welcomed the athletes was made more radiant by CAMTEL with its flagship product Blue.
As a major sponsor of the Cameroon international Cycling Tour, the incumbent telecommunications once again has kept to its promise of supporting the event as it has always done in the previous editions.
“Camtel is alway present when called in different events, we are here thanks to the services of Camtel, we are very satisfied with Camtel. It’s important to work with Cameroonian operators, Camtel is one of the best,” Governor Jean Abate Edi’i said.
CAMTEL made its mark at the presentation ceremony by offering several prizes from gadgets to communication credit to population that turned out to witness the presentation ceremony.
That is just the starting point for CAMTEL, more is still to come in the course of the race.
The General Manager of CAMTEL, Judith Yah Sunday epse ACHIDI, has deployed an arsenal to grace the tour from start to finish. As a strategic partner of the Cameroon Cycling Federation, CAMTEL will be offering prizes at every stage of the tour to the cyclists and also gifts the population that will be turning up to cheer on.
As tradition demands for CAMTEL, the incumbent telecommunications operator will be giving out the blue jersey to the best Cameroonian cyclist at the end of each lap, followed by other prizes in cash and gifts.
To crown it all on the final day, the General Manager of CAMTEL has made available a huge envelope for the best Cameroonian cyclist on the general classification which will be handed out after the cyclists cross the final finish line at the Club CAMTEL in Yaounde.