The French Geoffrey Soupe opened the ball in the sprint in the streets of Oyem after 122 kilometers of racing this Monday, January 23 during the first stage of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon.
The Tropicale Amissa Bongo made her comeback after two years of absence. Frenchman Geoffrey Soupe, 35, won the sprint in the streets of Oyem after 122 kilometers of racing. He beat Belgian Louis Blouwe (Bingoal WB) and Spaniard Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Burgos-BH). Eritrean Henok Mulueberhan finished just off the stage podium.
During this first stage, four men opened the way and tried to take to their heels: Paul Daumont (Burkina Faso), Isiaka Cissé (Ivory Coast), Aurélien Achietkueynyi (Cameroon) and El Houcaine Sabbahi (Morocco). The four fugitives were caught in the final, on the circuit.
Geoffrey Soupe’s last victory dates back to 2011, on a stage of the Tropicale. The one who took part in his first Grand Tour in Italy in 2012 was one of Nacer Bouhanni’s pilot fish for several years. He will therefore wear the leader’s yellow jersey on Tuesday January 24 between Oyem and Mitzic for 108 kilometers. The distance should favor the most combative. The finish will be judged at the top of a long straight line of 600m in a fairly demanding climb.