Madam Chantal BIYA, Matron of the Grand Prix International Cycling tour of Cameroon graced the final lap of the 19th edition of the competition won by Algerian born Azzeding Lagab on the 20th of October 2019 at the Yaounde 20th May Boulevard.
With the Launching ceremony effected on the 15th of October 2019 in Dimako in the Est Region of Cameroon, the first lap of the Chantal BIYA International Grand Prix Cycling Tour was done between Bertua and Abong – Mbang on the 17th of October 2019, the second stage was the Yaounde – Ebolowa lap, the 3th lap was Nkolbang – Meyonmessalla, and the closing and final lap that saw the presence of the Cameroon First Lady, Madam Chantal BIYA was done between Sagmelima and Yaound. This 19th edition of the Chantal BIYA International Grand Prix has entered history annals as one of those very sporadic editions that has witnessed the effective presence of the First Lady, Matron of the competition. Her arrival that surprised many lovers of cycling who were present at the Yaounde 20th May Boulevard seemed to have been announced by the presence of top officials from the presidency of the Republic of Cameroon. First was the presence of the Chief Protocol, Simon Pierre BIKELE, and then the Deputy Director of the Civil Cabinet, Oswald BAKOKE and the Minister Director of the Civil Cabinet, Samuel MVONDO AYOLO.
It was at exactly 2:24pm at the Yaounde 20th May Boulevard with the drizzling clouds of showers of blessings that the First Lady made her majestic way out of the presidential car, received by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof. Narcisse MOUELLE KOMBI. The surprise population clap and hailed their First Lady who in her usual relaxed mode and smile saluted the crowd with waving hands. A special edition indeed, attended by a special one in a special closing ceremony, Madame Chantal BIYA throughout the event gave prizes to the best three cyclists of each stage and best three Cameroonian cyclist at each stage. She did not end there. At the end of the competition all the cyclists Technical Directors and officials received special gifts from the First Lady.
Though
Cameroon did not win a lap during this 19th edition of the Grand
Prix, organizational wise, many point were scored. Some of the Cameroonian athletes
like Clovis KAMZONG ABESSOLO and TELLA Artuce where able to animate the pack at
each lap. For the very first time, all the arrivals of the various stages were
transmitted live on CRTV Sport. This innovation is enough prove that the race
has grown to majority. A number of sponsors like CAMTEL, Brasserie of Cameroon,
PMUC, Mayor, SNH, the Golf University and a host of others spiced the
competition with their gadgets while sponsoring some of the jerseys. It was in
this respect that Brasserie of Cameroon gave a prize for the best Cameroonian
athlete of the competition, Mayor dished out a prize for the best youth of the
Competition, and the Rose colour jersey was sponsored by PMUC, a prize that
went to HAMZA Yacine winner of the final lap. CAMTEL made a prize for the best
Cameroonian athlete in the person of Clovis KAMZONG and the most coveted Yellow
jersey won by Algerian born Azzeding Lagab was sponsored by the National
Hydrocarbon Company SNH.
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