Togo eyes place on UCI calendar with 31st Tour Cycliste International

Culture

Tuesday, 19 May 2026 12:09

Togo eyes place on UCI calendar with 31st Tour Cycliste International

(Togo First) - Togo launched the 31st edition of its Tour Cycliste International on Tuesday, May 19, as organizers seek to raise the race’s regional standing and eventually secure a place on the official calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Teams from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Belgium and Mali are taking part in the competition alongside Togo’s A and B national selections. A composite team known as Red Africa also joined this year’s race.

The event features five stages covering more than 530 kilometres across several Togolese cities, including Kantè, Kara, Sokodé, Atakpamé, Badou, Tohoun, Aného and Lomé. The stages are: Kantè–Kara (113.7 km), Bassar–Sokodé (70.2 km), Atakpamé–Badou (90.4 km), Amlamé–Tohoun (150.6 km), and the Aného–Lomé circuit (109.9 km).

Several jerseys will be awarded during the race, including the yellow jersey for the overall leader, the green jersey for the points classification leader, the polka-dot jersey for the best climber, the Asky jersey for the best young rider, and the Hôtel Napoléon jersey for the highest-ranked Togolese rider.

UCI commissaire Laurent Bezault, who was in Lomé ahead of the start of the race, said he would assess the organization of the event as part of a process that could eventually lead to its inclusion on the international cycling calendar.

His evaluation will focus on criteria such as safety standards, logistics, accommodation and whether the race is organized consistently.

The Togolese Cycling Federation (FTC) said recognition by the UCI would mark a major step forward for professional cycling in Togo and across West Africa. FTC president Djabiguè Baitian also set a sporting objective for the home team, saying he expects at least one stage victory from a Togolese rider.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.