Karl wins Stage Six as Soupe edges closer to La Tropicale triumph
Stage Six
1. Patrick Karl Lauk (BWB) 2h41’46”
2. Geoffrey Soupe (TEN) 2h41’46”
3. Clement Alleno (BBH) 2h41’46”
4. Hamza Amari (ALG) 2h41’46”
5. Natnael Berhane (BEY) 2h41’46”
General Classification
1. Geoffrey Soupe (TEN) 17h17’43”
2. Hamza Amari (ALG) 17h18’12”
3. Christopher Rougier-Lagane (MRI) 17h18’19”
4. Natnael Berhane (BEY) 17h18’19”
5. Dawit Yemane (ERI) 17h 18’21”
The sixth stage of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo that took place in the streets of Port-Gentil allowed an Estonian Karl Patrick Lauk (Bingoal-BH) to win for the first time in the history of the event but also a Gabonese Glenne Morvan Moulingui to finish at the 12th place of a stage, which had never happened before.
The 28-year-old Gabonese rider was the first to attack at the 0 km mark before being joined by 13 other riders.
This breakaway quickly took a lead that was close to two minutes. As all the big teams were represented in the break, the peloton wasn’t able to organize itself to catch the 14 riders.
Geoffrey Soupe was the first yellow jersey winner of the 16th edition of the race during the Woleu-Ntem stage. The Frenchman, who rides for TotalEnergies, accumulated bonuses to ensure the first place in the general classification by dethroning his young team-mate Jason Tesson.
But he wasn’t able to win a second stage after the first one in Oyem, so Estonian Karl Patrick Lauk took the opportunity to offer his Belgian team Bingoal-WB a nice victory during the team’s first participation in the Gabonese event.
While Gabonese Glenne Morvan Moulingui won the fighting spirit prize, it was also the first time since 2015 that two Africans, Algerian Hamza Amari and Mauritian Christopher Rougier-Lagane previously won it.
Rwandan representatives, however, continue to make little impact in this year’s La Tropicale.
Patrick Byukusenge finished in the 10th place of the sixth stage, after clocking two hours 41 minutes and 46 seconds.
Eric Manizabayo is the only Rwandan who is in the top 20 on general classification, sitting in the 18th place.
Geoffrey Soupe will have to maintain his 29-second lead ahead of second-placed Hamza Amari of Team Algeria and pray that he suffers no accident if he is to finish the Cap Esterias-Owendo-Libreville stage at the top to be crowned the winner of La Tropicale for the first time and cap off a successful campaign in Gabon with the rest of his TotalEnergies teammates.
