Malagasys stage winners at TCIM

Fifteenth Madagascar International Cycling Tour -TCIM-

Mazoni and Houlder are the two Malagasys stage winners at TCIM.

National team number one A wins first stage win in Malagasy. The Belgian Jari Verstraeten Keeps, on his side, the yellow jersey.

The sun was at the rendezvous. The fifteenth International Cycling Tour of Madagascar (TCIM) was greeted warmly in the city of Maevatanana. Mazoni Rakotoarivony wins the third stage of the 10 December 2019.
In the final sprint, the number one bib of the Malagasy A BOA team crossed the finish line of the Ambondromamy-Maevatanana stage first for a distance of 85 km.

He completed this stage by 2 :29 :08. "Our strategy was not yet to attack. We planned to let the foreigners impose their pace and try to finish the stage in the peloton. Instead, we wanted to conserve our energies for the next three hard steps. But there was an opportunity to escape and I took advantage of it.", says Mazoni Rakotoarivony, finally recovered from knee injuries.

He was accosted very closely by the Belgian, Van De Mierop Sam in second place and Hamede Houlder of the BOA team in third position. Another Malagasy, Nambinintsoa Andrianampoinimerina finishes at the foot of the podium with the time trial 2:29:34.

Malagasys stage winners at TCIM

"The number one malagasy is the strongest today. It drives really fast uphill. I was also in the wheels but it is the best who wins, ... In addition, the final sprint entry with the turns and the condition of the road, it was a bit dangerous", tells the Belgian, Van De Mierop Sam.

Houlder snatches stage four

Houlder Hamede takes on the second stage in Madagascar. The Malagasys are slowly climbing the slope. Five Malagasys crossed the finish line of the fourth stage Andriba-Ankazobe first, ahead of the Belgians.

Mission accomplished. The youngest Malagasy, Houlder Hamede of the BOA team won the fourth stage of the Madagascar cycling tour, by closing the 140 kilometres in 3:30:09.
He was followed by teammate Mazoni Rakotoarivony (3:30:36) and the rider of the malagasy B Canal plus team, Tsivery Anjara (3:30:39), Nambinintsoa Randrianantenaina by BOA (3:30:39) and Emile Randrianantenaina of BOA (3:30:48) is in fifth place. Two Belgians, including Jari Verstraeten (3 :30 :49) and Van De Meriop Sam (3 :31 :00), settle for sixth and seventh place.

Mazoni started in the 20th kilometer, his breakaway, at the entrance to Mahatsinjo. He was riding alone almost to the end, climbing Mahatsinjo, Tamponketsa and Manerinerina. The yellow jersey group consisting of six riders including two Belgians in this case the holder of the yellow jersey since the beginning of the tour, Jari Verstraeten and teammate Van De Meriop Sam, as well as four Malagasys including two from the BOA team in this case Houlder and Nambinintsoa, and two more from Canal plus, Tsivery Anjara and Reritra.

The gap was 2'15 at Mahatsinjo and then reduced to 45 seconds to Manerinerina (72 km). The Belgians tried many attacks but the locals did not let them go. "Mazoni left from the first climb and in our group, we only managed the Belgians who tried several times to impose their rhythm. As soon as he's caught up, I took over mainly on the climb to the entrance to the city of Ankazobe", houlder Hamede reports on arrival.

Long breakaway of the Malagasys stage winners.

"Our goal was to reduce the time difference from that of the Belgians, but to no avail. They're also strong uphill. The moment the yellow jersey group caught up with me, I just followed his pace", confided, Mazoni, for his part, splient of the long escaped from almost 120 km. "The number one malagasy started the breakaway early and then drove very fast. We were able to control our group but the Malagasys relaunched the attack 3 kilometers from the finish", narrates Jari Verstraeten.

So far, The Belgian team and the BOA team each have two stage wins, but the gap between the two, remains considerable, even more 13 minutes. Overall, Jari Verstraeten is in first place with a combined 12.01.34, heeled by his teammate, Van De Mierop Sam (+6.15). And Hamede Houlder propels himself from seventh to third place (+13.13). The series of climbs has only just begun. The one in Marovoalavo awaits the fifty-one competitors, Antsapanana-Moramanga for the fifth stage over a distance of 107 km.

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