Peloton in two parts
In good shape after a well deserved rest day, the riders in the peloton took off to a fast start immediately at the exit of Ouagadougou where they had covered the first 7 kms in a celebrated parade. The field stretches rapidly and breaks into two parts at kilometre 15. The leading 35 riders including yellow jersey Abdul Wahab Sawadogo, manages to increase their advance on the second group to up to 1'35'' at km 33. That's when pink jersey Gunter Cuylits decides to break away. He is rapidly caught by Saïdou Rouamba, with whom he works while the peloton gets back together again.

Mahamadi Sawadogo, in his home town
As the intermediate sprint of Boussé moves closer, two men decide to ease up the pace and take off to try and catch the leaders: Angolan Mucanza and Mahamadi Sawadogo, the ever attacking rider who seems effortless as he gets closer to his home town. They are eventually caught by the peloton who remains 1'30'' adrift at kilometre 54.

Third pair of escapees
On this 7th stage, it appears that things work out by pairs when it comes to attacking. Philippe Chevalier and Michel Lelièvre manage to catch the escapees. At kilometre 76, with the help of Fabrice Debrabant and Karel Pattyn, also a breakaway duet, six men are in the front positions with a 30'' lead. But the gap drops down: only 15'', 15 kms from the finish.

Rouamba chases for green
Less than 10 kms from the line, as the peloton is bunched again and everyone is expecting a massed sprint, Mucanza decides to attack, followed by the energetic Saïdou Rouamba and his experience of 15 Tours of Faso completed. The decision is eventually to be decided between these two men. The Angolan proves to be more powerful and Rouamba finishes second… again! The Burkina rider can however be satisfied with the 27 points earned that allow him to move closer to Denis Flahaut's green jersey (now only 4 points between both men). Flahaut won the peloton sprint and therefore finished third of the stage.

For the African youth

It's eight in the morning in front of the city stadium of Ouagadougou. Eric Dudoit looks troubled. For the last four hours, the rain hasn't stopped falling on the Burkina capital where he works as sports development project manager for the country but sent by the French embassy. He prepared this 2nd of November, rest day for the cyclists, for the last few months. It's supposed to be a cycling celebration for the young people: a morning of racing called the “Tour de l'avenir cycliste de la francophonie” and he set it up. Only, the problem is that it's been raining cats and dogs in a period of the year where –according by the locals– not a drop falls from the sky. “In Ouaga, when it trains, nobody goes outside”, admits a devastated Eric, who is forced to change his plans for the young riders.

Indeed, the competitors for the day aren't quite as familiar with these slippery conditions as their cycling heroes. Close to a hundred youngsters, all willing to ride in a more serious way have been invited for this special day. Most of them are from Burkina Faso and come from the 22 schools recently created: “in 2001 there was only one cycling school here and now we've already reached a first goal: 22 areas, 22 schools”, insists this former rider, “and for this special day we wanted to invite groups from other neighbouring countries. Benin, Mali, Niger, Togo and Senegal have come with teams of four boys and a girl, and they too will go back home with bicycles”.

And that indeed is the main goal of these festivities: to celebrate the end of the operation “1 000 vélos pour le Faso” (1,000 bicycles for the Faso), imagined at the very same place a year ago. To cope with the lack of equipment in the different clubs of Burkina, A.S.O. and all its partners decided to call upon the help of cycling amateurs. During the whole year, Yannick Goasduff, head of the project contacted different leagues, sponsors, brands, clubs, and professional teams, from all parts of France and Belgium to collect new bikes or in very good condition. The campaign was then launched during the Tour de France with the help of the Cities of Liege, Quimper, St-Léonard-de-Noblat, Limoges, Lannemezan and Bourg-d'Oisans.

A total of 650 bicycles, including that of Thomas Voeckler himself, and a great amount of jerseys, shorts and accessories were collected. Sent by boat and train, it all arrived in Ouagadougou a few days before the start of the Tour of Faso. After the sprinting sessions that eventually took place between the young riders competing in “their race”, the distribution started. A second phase starting for Eric Dudoit, who had already anticipated the arrival of these bikes and the way they would be used: “since this project started, we have trained 50 special trainers that will now have real equipment at their disposition to make the Burkina and African cyclists improve.” And it looks obvious that these young people massed around the stadium have the energy to one day become real athletes. All they need now is to carry on training to one day compete on the Tour of Faso.