The event’s big favorite, Luis Leon Sanchez of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, took the victory on the first stage of the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo race while his fellow countryman Egoits Garcia of Cofidis become the first leader of 2014 edition, as a consequence of a successful breakaway attempt.

The first stage of an African UCI 2.1 category event took the peloton from Bitam in northern Gabon to Ebolowa in Cameroon, covering the distance of 149 km.

After 15 kilometers a strong breakaway group has formed and went clear, containing of two greatest favorites to take overall victory in the event L. L. Sanchez of Caja Rural and Linus Gerdemann of MTN Qhubeka, as well as 19 other riders in the likes of Gregory Habeaux and Frederique Robert (Wanty Groupe Gobert),  Nataenel Berhane, Fabrice Jeandesboz  and Giovanni Bernadeau (Europcar), Reda Aadel e Salah Eddine Mraouni (Marocco), Adrien Niyonshiuti (MTN - Qhubeka), Dan Craven (Namibia), Metkel Eyob (Eritrea), Rasmane Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Egoitz Gercia and  Florian Senechal (Cofidis).

The huge effort from the riders in the breakaway gave them an advantage of more than 10 minutes over the main group, before Sanchez attacked, followed by five other riders that managed to make a final split. Even though the Eritrean from Team Europcar launched an late attack in a perfect timing 300 meters from the finish line, it was Sanchez who used his experience to outsprint the rest of a field and claim a victory, which he called a "reassuring one".

After bonuses taken on intermediate sprints, another Spanish rider - Egoitz Garcia of Cofidis, is occupying the leading position of the event with a second ahead of Sanchez and seven Berhane.

Bitam – Ebolowa >> 1 stage results:

1          SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)

2          GARCíA ETXEGIBEL Egoitz (Cofidis Solutions Crédits)   

3          BERHANE Natnael  (Team Europcar)        

4          GERDEMANN Linus (Team MTN Qhubeka)          

5          HABEAUX Gregory (Wanty - Groupe Gobert)

More to follow …