The Nigerian cycling team placed third in the recently ended Tour International du Togo, according to Bashiru Mohammed, technical director of the Nigeria Cycling Federation (CFN).
The squad returned with three trophies, Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
“The Nigerian team finished third in team classification points and first in individual by points for Under 23 Elite and Individual by points for Under 23.
Our position in the overall team final classification was third. I am grateful for the Team’s effort, and the Federation will keep helping them.
“We performed exceptionally well at the competition, which I was optimistic about,” he remarked.
According to this new edition of the Tour international du Togo, Abdulmalik Yusuf wore the yellow jersey on the fourth stage, he claimed.
The jersey of the longest competitive breakaway and the Ducreux jersey were among the other honorary jerseys given out during the competition.
He stated, “This is an homage to the late Francis Ducreux, who was one of the organisers of the Tour International du Togo.”
Mohammed reported that during a week-long racing event, the 29th Tour Cycliste of Togo in Lomé covered a distance of almost 700 kilometres in the heats.
The peloton route to Kpalimé, Mango, Kara, Pagouda, Sokodé, Sotouboua, and Atakpamé, together with the closed circuit Vogan-Aného-Lomé, was among the major towns and cities that the cyclists covered.
Nine men, six of whom were cyclists and three of whom were officials, represented Nigeria.
John Odumu, Emmanuel Udohudoh, Mansud Garuba, Isah Momoh, Precious Etim, and Abdulmalik Yusuf are the six cyclists.
Timothy Anagolu was the mechanic, and Moses Omozusi and Kamole Amoo were the officials for the coaches. Tuesday, the Team returned home,” he stated.
The Burkina Faso team placed first, with the Mali team finishing in second place. However, the Nigerian team came in third.
Cote d’Ivoire, Togo team A, France, Ghana, Benin, and Cedeao were the teams who finished fourth through tenth.
According to NAN, in partnership with the Togolese Cycling Federation (FTC), a local partner, “UK and PARTNERS,” a communications and marketing consultancy, is organising the Togo Cycling Tour for the first time.
Teams from nine nations competed in the six stages of the 2024 International Cycling Tour of Togo: Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, France, Togo A, Cedeao, and Mali.