Cycling: Apart from the upcoming WorldTour race in Australia, professional cycling is currently taking place. So in Gabon La Tropicale Amissa Bongo Ondimba takes place. The seven-day tour is part of the UCI Africa Tour and started today in Kango. Lucas Carstensen organized the first German victory in 2018.
Carstensen in front of Petit and Reguigui
It didn't take long for a German road cyclist to celebrate for the first time in the 2018 season. But probably nobody expected Lucas Carstensen from Team Bike Aid. The 23-year-old German sprinted to victory for his new racing team on the first stage of the Tour Tropicale Amissa Bongo Ondimba. He left at least two well-known professionals behind. The Frenchman Adrien Petit (Direct Energie) was at a disadvantage, as was the Algerian Youcef Reguigui (Sovac-Natura4ever). Lucas Carstensen automatically took the lead in the overall standings.
Lucas Carstensen: “This is a great success for me and the team. I didn't know the arrival, but looked it up in the road book and knew that it wouldn't be easy for the sprinters to organize themselves after the last climb. I started sprinting at 250 meters and felt very strong.”
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 2018
🚲 STAGE 1 🚲
CARSTENSEN Lucas sul podio in attesa di endorse la prima maglia leader@l_carstensen94 on the podium waiting to wear the first leader jersey@bikeaid #TAB2018 @tropicale2018 pic.twitter.com/gIbzMx20TC— Cycling_360 (@cycling_360) 15 January 2018
Well-known winners
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo Ondimba has been held in Gabon since 2006. First, the tour was classified in UCI category 2.2. However, since 2008 it has belonged to category 2.1. It is mainly attended by African drivers and teams, but European teams also find their way to Gabon year after year. Ever since the tour was founded, well-known riders have had their names entered in the list of winners. The record holder with three successes is Frenchman Anthony Charteau, who won the Tour de France mountains classification in 2010. Matthieu Ladagnous, Natnael Berhane, Adrien Petit and last year's winner Yohann Gène have also won here and are known to most cycling fans. La Tropicale Amissa Bongo Ondimba 2018 ends on Sunday in Libreville.
#TAB2018 The yellow maillot for Lucas Carstensen @bikeaid après la 1ère étape de la @tropicale2018 today pic.twitter.com/fWvkjQg2xB
— La Tropicale (@tropicale2018) 15 January 2018