Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
The 23rd edition of the Chantal Biya Int’l Cycling Tour has come and gone but the memories are still fresh in the minds of Cameroonians. The participation of Camtel at the tour was just exceptional. The incumbent telecommunications operator set aside five (5) blue jersies to the best Cameroonians in each stage. Two Cameroonian cyclists grabbed all the jersies.
At the beginning of the race in Kribi, South region of Cameroon on October 3rd, and through a criterium, the first blue jersey was won by Kuere Nounawe Rodrigue Eric, who bagged home the whopping sum of FCFA 100,000 including other gadgets from Camtel.
The next day, his colleague from the SNH Velo Club, Kamzong Abossolo, won the second blue jersey after the second lap between Yaounde and Nkolandom. He maintained the win throughout the rest of the competition that ended Saturday, October 7, 2023 in Yaounde. The same financial and other benefits were given him.
The blue jersey by Camtel is a means of encouraging Cameroonian cyclists. It is now a tradition, Camtel has always respected the cycling rendezvous as major sponsor.
Besides the blue jersey, Camtel painted the tour blue. In all the various laps of the tour, special caravans were deployed to accompany the cyclists to victory. Even the population by the roadsides who turned out to cheer the cyclists went back home with Camtel’s gadgets.
Cameroon’s participation at the tour was however encouraging according to the director of sports at the SNH Velo Club, Tega Martinien.
“We missed our target, but our cyclists have improved,” Tega Martinien said.
At the end of the tour, Clovis Kamzong Abossolo was the overall best Cameroonian cyclists.
Algerian cyclist, Yacine Hamza, won the yellow jersey of the tour.
