And yet they race. When it comes to painting rosy but vague scenarios of full development of enormous potential, with African cycling in the picture, the concrete risk is losing sight of the State of the Art. And so, the finish lines of two stage races allow us to dive into the daily grind, having filed away the Tour d'Algerie in ten stages and welcomed to the spotlight the Tour du Benin, which was started by Monsieur David Lappartient.

The UCI president found himself, let's say in the area, having moved to Cotonou, the capital of Benin, staying in West Africa, after attending the African Cycling Confederation conference in Ivory Coast. At the assembly proceedings in Abidjan, led by president Dr Yao Allah-Kouamé, at the speakers' table was Italian Enrico Della Casa, UCI vice-president and President of the European Cycling Union.

An appointment, extraordinary session, concluded with statements marked by satisfaction from Lappartient: "we have noted the arrival of new figures at the helm of certain federations, testifying to the dynamism of continental cycling. Africa is by far the continent that we at the UCI support the most, thanks to solidarity programs and the two satellites of the World Centre, venues for training camps dedicated to the most promising cyclists and female cyclists," said the number 1 from Aigle to the Super Sport website, while also welcoming, should it materialize, the Tour of West Africa, given that at the women's level the only continental stage race remains the Tour of Burundi.

In Africa, moreover, the primary need is to create a greater number of 2.2 category races, with the Tour du Rwanda (2.1) maintaining its leadership, which took place between February and early March with the usual extraordinary public turnout. Time will tell whether the nation that hosted the World Championships will be ready in the not-too-distant future to attract World Tour riders, preceded moreover by the participation of high-caliber development teams.

If in Algeria, after ten stages, victory went to Indonesian Dimas Nur Fadhil Rizqui, second place just 19 seconds behind the winner was claimed by 24-year-old Rwandan Masengesho Vainqueur, present with his national team and distinguished in several stages, also for the general classification and not just for his classic breakaways staged in Rwanda.

Algerian Madar, Africa's leading team in 2025, highlighted the talent of 23-year-old Ethiopian Bizay Tesfu Redae, who won a stage and is already in the ranks of Hagens Berman Jayco. Who knows, perhaps names to note for some far-sighted European (Italian?) coach like that of Yaflet Mulugeta, competing with the Eritrean national team and an ambitious young man, perhaps not favored by a Tour du Benin route where the climbs are minimal.

In Cotonou, after Monday's prologue, the real challenge began with the start of Morocco, Algeria, Benin, Mauritius and Nigeria, as well as Togo and Burkina Faso. Add to that, needless to say, the Eritreans, a true reference nation on a continental scale, without forgetting Bike Aid, the German continental team devoted to African races. The leading man? Likely his name is Alexander Mayer (second on Tuesday behind Latvian Belohvosciks), son of the Mauritius federation president and he is here with the selection from the island known, cycling-wise, for having brought Kimberly Le Court to the yellow jersey.

Alex knows how to handle himself in the saddle, otherwise he wouldn't have landed the contract with Burgos BH Burpellet. The next chapter of the Africa Tour is right at Mauritius, from June 2 to 5.