Tour of Benin 2026: Kristians Bootloader crowned, a successful 21st edition

The Tour of Benin 2026 delivered an attractive show from the very first days with the prologue in Cotonou and stage 1 where Kristians Lehvosciks won the sprint in a group of eight riders in the lead, taking the yellow jersey at the start. Stages 2 and 3 saw the Algerian rider Assal Najib achieve the double, scoring two consecutive stage victories for Africa. Stage 4 between Dasso and Porto-Novo, 127.8 km long, was taken by the Moroccan Salah Eddine Mraouni. He won the sprint in 2 hours 54 minutes 25 seconds with an average speed of 41.96 km/h). The 5th and last stage between Zogbodomey and Cotonou allowed Kristians Lehvosciks to finish in style, winning the final sprint ahead of Luca Harter (2nd) and Youssef Bdadou (3rd). He completed the 128.7 km in 3 hours 10 minutes 34 seconds (40.51 km/h).

Twelve teams including eight countries and four teams with a total of 70 riders were at the start of this 21st edition of the Tour international cycliste du Bénin. The AID Bike Team controlled the race perfectly, allowing its leader, Kristians Lehvosciks, to keep the yellow jersey until the end.

An encouraging assessment for the future

Twelve runners from Benin took the start and all finished. The best of them, Saïzonou Glorad is 27th in the overall individual classification at 3 minutes and 16 seconds behind the winner of the Tour. He was closely followed by Exodus Saïzonou (29th) and Ricardo Sodjèdé (38th). Others shone in the hot spots and breakaways, notably Pascal Akovobahou and Corneil Ataï during the last stage. As Glorad Saïzonou pointed out: "We took part in a very high-level race. We need to continue the work. And I hope we’ll win a stage next year.”

For his part, Romuald Hazoumè, general director of the Tour and president of the Benin Cycling Federation (FBC), was very satisfied with the outcome of this edition: "When I see the mobilization of schoolchildren on the side of the road, the organization this year despite the difficulties we have had, I say that the assessment is positive." The massive presence of the public, especially students, and the quality of the organization despite budgetary and logistical constraints marked the minds.

Two Grands Prix on the sidelines of the Tour

The Tour of Benin 2026 was accompanied by two other events included in the UCI calendar: International Grand Prix of the Amazons and Grand Prix of the City of Cotonou. Burkina Faso’s Awa Bamogo won the double for the International Amazon Grand Prix. The podium at the finish is 100% Burkinabe: 1st Awa Bamogo, 2nd Adèle Guissou and 3rd Lamoussa Zougrana. Benin’s Charlotte Mètoévi finished 4th. The Grand Prix de la Ville de Cotonou was won by German Oscar Schempp of Team Bike AID ahead of Mulugeta Yafiet and Kristians Lehvosciks.

The Tour of Benin 2026 will remain as a successful edition. Kristians Lehvosciks succeeds Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg from South Africa.