The first stage of the 15th Tour du Faso has been won by Dutch rider Joost Legtenberg (Marco Polo CC), who out sprinted a group of seven riders into Bobo-Dioulasso. Frenchman Nicolas Gand (Seine Maritime) was second, followed by Moroccan Abdelati Saadoune. The majority of the peloton finished nearly 5 minutes behind.
The 94.5 kilometre stage started in Banfora in predictably warm conditions. Philippe Lepeurien, winner of the 1992 edition of the Tour du Faso, was the most successful early breakaway rider. He got away in a hillier part of the stage, and was chased by a group of 10 riders, who caught him with 34 kilometres to go.
The new breakaway contained three Marco Polo riders (Joost Legtenberg, Nathan Dahlberg and Ram Deward), as well as Abdelati Saadoune (Morocco), Nicolas Gand, Gaylord Cumont and Johann Sorel (Seine Maritime), Philippe Lepeurien and Yves Beau (Pays d'Allier), Guillaume Retailleau (Loire Atlantique) and Burkina Faso rider R. Jérémie Ouedraogo.
Behind them, the peloton shredded to pieces as the front riders worked to increase their advantage. Four riders were dropped from the break: Ouedraogo, Retailleau, Beau and Cumont, leaving seven to contest the win. Joost Legtenberg had the best legs today ahead of Nicolas Gand and Abdelati Saadoune. His teammates Deward and Dahlberg also finished in the front group, meaning that Marco Polo also took the team classification.
1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 2.19.39 (40.6 km/h) 2 Nicolas Gand (Fra) Seine Maritime 3 Abdelati Saadoune (Mor) Morocco 4 Johann Sorel (Fra) Seine Maritime 5 Ram Deward (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 6 Philippe Lepeurien (Fra) Pays d'Allier 7 Nathan Dahlberg (Nzl) Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.09 8 Gaylord Cumont (Fra) Seine Maritime 1.15 9 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 1.56 10 R. Jérémie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 2.16 11 Yves Beau (Fra) Pays d'Allier 12 Patrice Hemroulle (Bel) Aliplast 4.54 13 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 14 Martinien Tega (Cam) Cameroon 15 Owono Owono (Cam) Cameroon 4.58 16 Seydou Sanfo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 5.24 17 Denis Flahaut (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 18 Saïdou Rouamba (Bur) Burkina Faso A 19 Laurent Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 20 Dominique Pere (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 21 Jérémy David (Fra) Loire Atlantique 22 Christof Marien (Bel) Aliplast 23 Mohammed Er-Ragragui (Mor) Morocco 24 Hamidou Diarra (Mal) Mali 25 François Talla (Cam) Cameroon 26 Hamado Pafadnam (Bur) Burkina Faso A 27 Steve Thijs (Bel) Aliplast 28 Jelloul Adil (Mor) Morocco 29 Florian Joalland (Fra) Loire Atlantique 5.30 30 Atze Dijkhuis (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 31 Eric Van Eekelen (Bel) Aliplast 32 Fouad Fellahi (Mor) Morocco 5.37 33 Lucien Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 6.56 34 Simon Ngopang (Cam) Cameroon 35 Serge Pitouo (Cam) Cameroon 7.06 36 Jean Ilboudo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 8.21 37 Anthony Ravard (Fra) Loire Atlantique 9.30 38 Baptiste Bruhlet (Fra) Pays d'Allier 39 Xavier Vermeeren (Bel) Aliplast 40 Mahamadi Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 41 Arnaud Vettier (Fra) Seine Maritime 42 Ronny Stes (Bel) Aliplast 43 Cyril Saez (Fra) Loire Atlantique 44 Damase Onguene (Cam) Cameroon 45 N'gatta Coulaibaly (ICo) Ivory Coast 46 Edmond Doucoure (Mal) Mali 47 Abdoulaye Traore (ICo) Ivory Coast 48 Mohammed Saïd El Ammoury (Mor) Morocco 49 Jérémie Dupas (Fra) Loire Atlantique 9.39 50 Philippe Simonin (Fra) Pays d'Allier 51 Sylvain Despres (Fra) Pays d'Allier 9.43 52 Marc Antoine Pauchet (Fra) Seine Maritime 53 Louis Euzet (Fra) Pays d'Allier 12.12 54 Driss Anezroud (Mor) Morocco 55 Sessouma Abdoulaye (ICo) Ivory Coast 56 Abdoul Salam Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 57 Gado Yahaya (Nig) Niger 58 Sébastien Garcia (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 59 Karim Kabore (Bur) Burkina Faso B 60 Rodolphe Pradel (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 61 Cheick Ouman Diallo (Mal) Mali 12.22 62 Simon Dona (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 63 François Lavaleur (Fra) Seine Maritime 64 Gueswendé Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 12.43 65 Siaka Diallo 1 (Mal) Mali 17.44 66 S. B. Ibrahim Belem (Bur) Burkina Faso B 25.06 67 Abdoulaye Ibrahim (Nig) Niger 27.42 68 Lionel Vedrine (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 29.47 69 Salia Diallo (Mal) Mali 32.41 70 Famousso Souleymane (ICo) Ivory Coast 71 Mamadou Ouattara Sie (ICo) Ivory Coast 38.33 72 Kouame Eugene Lokossou (ICo) Ivory Coast 73 Gado Adamou (Nig) Niger 74 Siaka Diallo 2 (Mal) Mali 75 Abdoul Salam Zakari (Nig) Niger 38.37 Points 1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 30 pts 2 Nicolas Gand (Fra) Seine Maritime 27 3 Abdelati Saadoune (Mor) Morocco 25 4 Johann Sorel (Fra) Seine Maritime 23 5 Bram De Waard (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 21 6 Philippe Lepeurien (Fra) Pays d'Allier 19 7 Nathan Dahlberg (Nzl) Marco Polo Cycling Team 17 8 Gaylord Cumont (Fra) Seine Maritime 15 9 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 13 10 R. Jérémie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 11 11 Yves Beau (Fra) Pays d'Allier 10 12 Patrice Hemroulle (Bel) Aliplast 9 13 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 8 14 Martinien Tega (Cam) Cameroon 7 15 Owono Owono (Cam) Cameroon 6 16 Seydou Sanfo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 5 17 Denis Flahaut (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 4 18 Saïdou Rouamba (Bur) Burkina Faso A 3 19 Laurent Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 2 20 Dominique Pere (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 1 Sprints 1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 3 pts 2 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 2 3 Bram De Waard (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 1 Teams 1 Marco Polo Cycling Team 6.59.06 2 Seine Maritime 1.06 3 Maroc 10.39 4 Pays d'Allier 11.37 5 Loire Atlantique 12.41 6 Burkina Faso A 12.55 7 Cameroun 15.07 8 Aliplast 15.33 9 Supersport - 23 La Creuse 22.51 10 Mali 27.07 11 Burkina Faso B 29.54 12 Côte d'Ivoire 31.03 13 Niger 1.18.18 General classification after stage 1 1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 2.19.26 2 Nicolas Gand (Fra) Seine Maritime 0.07 3 Abdelati Saadoune (Mor) Morocco 0.09 4 Bram De Waard (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 0.12 5 Johann Sorel (Fra) Seine Maritime 0.13 6 Philippe Lepeurien (Fra) Pays d'Allier 7 Nathan Dahlberg (Nzl) Marco Polo Cycling Team 22 8 Gaylord Cumont (Fra) Seine Maritime 1.28 9 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 2.27 10 R. Jérémie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 2.29 11 Yves Beau (Fra) Pays d'Allier 12 Patrice Hemroulle (Bel) Aliplast 5.07 13 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 14 Martinien Tega (Cam) Cameroon 15 Owono Owono (Cam) Cameroon 5.11 16 Seydou Sanfo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 5.37 17 Denis Flahaut (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 18 Saïdou Rouamba (Bur) Burkina Faso A 19 Laurent Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 20 Dominique Pere (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 21 Jérémy David (Fra) Loire Atlantique 22 Christof Marien (Bel) Aliplast 23 Mohammed Er-Ragragui (Mor) Morocco 24 Hamidou Diarra (Mal) Mali 25 François Talla (Cam) Cameroon 26 Hamado Pafadnam (Bur) Burkina Faso A 27 Steve Thijs (Bel) Aliplast 28 Jelloul Adil (Mor) Morocco 29 Florian Joalland (Fra) Loire Atlantique 5.43 30 Atze Dijkhuis (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 31 Eric Van Eekelen (Bel) Aliplast 32 Fouad Fellahi (Mor) Morocco 5.50 33 Lucien Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 7.09 34 Simon Ngopang (Cam) Cameroon 35 Serge Pitouo (Cam) Cameroon 7.19 36 Jean Ilboudo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 8.34 37 Anthony Ravard (Fra) Loire Atlantique 9.43 38 Baptiste Bruhlet (Fra) Pays d'Allier 39 Xavier Vermeeren (Bel) Aliplast 40 Mahamadi Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 41 Arnaud Vettier (Fra) Seine Maritime 42 Ronny Stes (Bel) Aliplast 43 Cyril Saez (Fra) Loire Atlantique 44 Damase Onguene (Cam) Cameroon 45 N'gatta Coulaibaly (ICo) Ivory Coast 46 Edmond Doucoure (Mal) Mali 47 Abdoulaye Traore (ICo) Ivory Coast 48 Mohammed Saïd El Ammoury (Mor) Morocco 49 Jérémie Dupas (Fra) Loire Atlantique 9.52 50 Philippe Simonin (Fra) Pays d'Allier 51 Sylvain Despres (Fra) Pays d'Allier 9.56 52 Marc Antoine Pauchet (Fra) Seine Maritime 53 Louis Euzet (Fra) Pays d'Allier 12.25 54 Driss Anezroud (Mor) Morocco 55 Sessouma Abdoulaye (ICo) Ivory Coast 56 Abdoul Salam Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 57 Gado Yahaya (Nig) Niger 58 Sébastien Garcia (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 59 Karim Kabore (Bur) Burkina Faso B 60 Rodolphe Pradel (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 61 Cheick Ouman Diallo (Mal) Mali 12.35 62 Simon Dona (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 63 François Lavaleur (Fra) Seine Maritime 64 Gueswendé Sawadogo (Bur) Burkina Faso B 12.56 65 Siaka Diallo 1 (Mal) Mali 17.57 66 S. B. Ibrahim Belem (Bur) Burkina Faso B 25.19 67 Abdoulaye Ibrahim (Nig) Niger 27.55 68 Lionel Vedrine (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 30.00 69 Salia Diallo (Mal) Mali 32.54 70 Famousso Souleymane (ICo) Ivory Coast 32.54 71 Mamadou Ouattara Sie (ICo) Ivory Coast 38.46 72 Kouame Eugene Lokossou (ICo) Ivory Coast 73 Gado Adamou (Nig) Niger 74 Siaka Diallo 2 (Mal) Mali 75 Abdoul Salam Zakari (Nig) Niger 38.50 Points classification 1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 30 pts 2 Nicolas Gand (Fra) Seine Maritime 27 3 Abdelati Saadoune (Mor) Morocco 25 4 Johann Sorel (Fra) Seine Maritime 23 5 Bram De Waard (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 21 6 Philippe Lepeurien (Fra) Pays d'Allier 19 7 Nathan Dahlberg (Nzl) Marco Polo Cycling Team 17 8 Gaylord Cumont (Fra) Seine Maritime 15 9 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 13 10 R. Jérémie Ouedraogo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 11 11 Yves Beau (Fra) Pays d'Allier 10 12 Patrice Hemroulle (Bel) Aliplast 9 13 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 8 14 Martinien Tega (Cam) Cameroon 7 15 Owono Owono (Cam) Cameroon 6 16 Seydou Sanfo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 5 17 Denis Flahaut (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 4 18 Saïdou Rouamba (Bur) Burkina Faso A 3 19 Laurent Zongo (Bur) Burkina Faso A 2 20 Dominique Pere (Fra) Supersport - 23 La Creuse 1 Sprints classification 1 Joost Legtenberg (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 3 pts 2 Guillaume Retailleau (Fra) Loire Atlantique 2 3 Bram De Waard (Ned) Marco Polo Cycling Team 1 Teams classification 1 Marco Polo Cycling Team 6.59.06 2 Seine Maritime 1.06 3 Maroc 10.39 4 Pays d'Allier 11.37 5 Loire Atlantique 12.41 6 Burkina Faso A 12.55 7 Cameroun 15.07 8 Aliplast 15.33 9 Supersport - 23 La Creuse 22.51 10 Mali 27.07 11 Burkina Faso B 29.54 12 Côte d'Ivoire 31.03 13 Niger 1.18.18