Mission Accomplished! Eritrea is now Africa’s Cycling Champion three years in a Row
By TesfaNews,
Last year’s African Cycling Champion, Eritrean Natnael Berhane, becomes the 2012 African Cycling Champion, again, by winning the final race set by this year’s Continental Championship in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).
He sweeps up two gold medals after winning the 170Km race both for the elite men and U23 titles at an astonishing time of 4hr 00’ 27” at an average speed of 42.42 Km/hr.
The 2008 African champion, South African Jay Thomson concludes the race in second place followed by Eritrean Frekalsi Debesy.
That officially made his country Eritrea the undisputed African Cycling Champion for a third year in row.
In today’s final competition, all eyes were on the superstar Daniel Teklehaymanot, and so does the eyes of the 87 riders. Particularly after Tsgabu Grmay of Ethiopia finished second after successfully tracking down Daniel Teklehaymanot till he crossed the victory line during the individual time trial, there was a total belief among the coaches and the rest of the riders that they can do so in the final day of the competition as he is striving to win the championship.
However, according to various sources from Ouagadougou, cyclist Berket Yemane played a remarkable role by consistently switching and confusing the group that glued Daniel Teklehaymanot for quite some time. He scatters them in to smaller splinter groups and at times regroups them all at his own will.
That plays well for the unsuspected Natnael Berhane, who finished 7th at his first time ever individual time trial race, to successfully escape and dig a 3min and 29 sec gap from the pack while closely followed by Jay Thomson.
When he reaches 500m away from the finishing line, however, Natnael Berhane easily took over his challenger and drops him way behind to cross the finishing line victoriously.
The rest of the packs including Tsgabu Grmay of Ethiopia were not that lucky this time. He concludes the race at a less enthusiastic 38th.
The Eritrean national cycling team left a memorable mark in the history of the African Continental Cycling competitions and most importantly on the people of Burkina Faso who went extremely wild each time the team concludes the race with victory; first by winning four gold medals at the team time trial; another gold at the individual time trial and now two gold at the final day of the competition.
If there was one common thing the Eritrean national team has ever made in the last three consecutive year wins at the Continental Championship, it is their successive clean sweep of the entire gold medals available. That mercilessly left the rest of the pack that participated on the competition to run for their ranks.
FINAL RESULT (MEN):
1/ Natnael BERHANE 170 km in 04h00’27” (moy. 42.42 km / h)
2/ AFRIQUE DU SUD Jay THOMSON RSA ‘
3/ Debesay Frekalsi Erythrée ERI 01’50”
4/ Sherif MOHAMED EGYPTE EGY 4 ‘
5/ MERDJ Hamza ALGERIE ALG 02’06”
6/ AFRIQUE DU SUD Songezo JIM RSA ‘
7/ CHABANE Hichem ALGERIE ALG 04’24”
8/ Ahmed TUNISIE MRAIHI TUN ‘
9/ CISSE COTE D `IVOIRE Issiaka CIV 04’30”
10/ NIYONSHUTI Adrien RWA RWANDA ‘
11/ Seydou Bamogo 11 04’33” BUR BURKINA FASO
12/ Khaled ALGERIE Abdennebi ALG 04’37”
13/ Maher Hasnaoui TUN 13 06’31” TUNISIE
14/ LINCOLNILE MAURICE MRI Yannick ‘
15/ Tesfom OKUBAMARIA ERI 07’57”
16/ HAMZA Faycal ALGERIE ALG ‘
17/ Abdoul Aziz NIKIEMA 17 BURKINA FASO BUR 08’02”
18/ MINOUGOU Noufou 18 BURKINA FASO BUR 08’56”
19/ ALI Ali Elsayed EGYPTE EGY 09’51”
20/ Nuru PARDIE GHA GHANA 20 ‘
21/ MLI MALI DIARRA Hamidou 21 ‘
22/ BENOUA Djelloul ALGERIE ALG ‘
23/ NASRI Houssem TUNISIE TUN ‘
24/ Henry DJANGMAH GHA GHANA ‘
25/ Daniel Erythrée TEKLEHAIMANOT ERI ‘
26/ Alaa Ahmed EGY 26 EGYPTE ‘
27/ OSMAN Aminu GHA GHANA ‘
28/ Richard TANZANIE LAIZER TAN ‘
29/ FOFANA COTE D `IVOIRE Issiaka CIV ‘
30/ Jani Tewelde 30 09’58” ERI
31/ BIZIYAREMY Joseph ERWA RWANDA ‘
32/HADJBOUZIT Karim ALGERIE ALG ‘
33/ BIKIENGA Salfo 33 BURKINA FASO BUR ‘
34/ HOSSAM ELDIN EGYPTE EGY Osama ‘
35/ Mohmoud Ahmed EGY EGYPTE ‘
36/ Amr Ahmed EGY EGYPTE ‘
37/ MINOUGOU Oumarou 37 BURKINA FASO BUR ‘
38/ GRMAY Tsgabu Ethiopie ETH ‘
39/ Bereket Yemane Erythrée 39 ERI ‘
40/ YAMEOGO Yacouba BURKINA FASO BUR ‘
41/ AFRIQUE DU Avery Arendse SUD Brickford RSA ‘
42/ OUEDRAOGO Rasmane 42 BURKINA FASO BUR ‘
43/ Willem AFRIQUE DU SUD SMIT RSA ‘
44/ Clint AFRIQUE DU SUD HENDRICKS RSA 10’02”
45/ Jaco AFRIQUE DU SUD VENTER RSA ‘
46/ BURKINA FASO YAMEOGO Hamidou 46 BUR ‘
47/ Mkoma Hamisi TANZANIE TAN 11’33”
48/ Bolodigui OUATTARA COTE D `IVOIRE CIV 13’04”
49/ SANGARE Oumar MLI MALI ‘
50/ Samuel ANIM GHA GHANA 50 17’54”
51/ DIARRA Bréhima MLI MALI ‘
52/ Moses SESAY SLE SIERRA LEONE 17’55”
53/ AKAKPO Augustin BEN BENIN 53 17’58”
54/ KITIVEI John TANZANIE TAN ‘
55/ TOURE COTE D `IVOIRE Mongonlon CIV ‘
56/ LENGANI COTE D `IVOIRE Amadou CIV 18’01”
57/ SANOGO Tidiani MLI MALI 57 18’04”
58/ PETRUS 58 23’20” Lotus NAMIBIE NAM
59/ Edward Pothin SEYCHELLES SEY 59 25’01”
60/ Daku Komla 60 35’00” Edem TOG TOGO
61/ Isaac Sackey GHA GHANA ‘
62/ TOUITOUIGA BENIN BEN Arnaud ‘
63/ Yacouba Togola MLI MALI ‘
