The 20th edition of the Benin Cycling Tour kicks off this Monday, April 28, 2025. Six stages are scheduled, running from the north to the south of the country, with the finish line set for Saturday in Cotonou.
Fourteen teams, including eleven from Africa, will be at the starting line. A strong lineup for what will be the last West African race sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). This event carries major stakes just a few months ahead of the World Championships in Kigali (late September), as highlighted by Salami Avocetien, coach of the Benin national team: “Yes, there is reason to be concerned. We need UCI races to earn points and hope to qualify.”
Indeed, without UCI-certified competitions, African cyclists risk being excluded from major global events. In recent years, countries like Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and more recently Burkina Faso, have lost their UCI races. Benin, on the other hand, has invested and structured its cycling program to maintain international standards.
In addition, nine African national teams — Cameroon, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, and South Africa — will compete alongside two Beninese teams and three European and Asian squads from France, the Netherlands, and the Philippines.