Preview
Spearheading the foreign challenge in this year's Tour du Senegal (2.5) are Colombia-Selle Italia, who have brought last year's overall winner Leonardo Scarselli as well as Illiano, Schnyder and a couple of stagiares. This season, Illiano took fourth overall at the Brixia Tour (2.3) as well as fourth in a Giro stage. Although the team has been criticised for competing in these races, for want of 'easy' points, it's undeniable that they add a touch of foreign flair. Peter van Agtmaal will also be a danger for Holland, while a couple of the Comite du Morbihan French riders could surprise.

As for Africa, expect the same dogged determination and spirited challenge that they usually give in these races. Sénegal have Olivier Keita on hand to challenge for a top ten overall placing, while Burkina Faso, getting condition ahead of their own home tour, have Saidou Rouamba and Abdoul Sawadogo to challenge for stages. Riding with Angola, Gerardo Fernandez, usually a rider in Portugal with Antarte-Rota do Moveis, could cause a few problems too.

Stages
Prologue (30/9) - Dakar-Boulevard General de Gaulle, 1.6km
Stage 1 (1/10) - Dakar-Thiès, 92.8km
Stage 2 (2/10) - Thiès-Kaolack, 160.6km
Stage 3 (3/10) - Kaolack-Popenguine, 141.3km
Stage 4 (4/10) - Thiès-Somone, 91.5km
REST DAY
Stage 5 (6/10) - Thiès-Saint-Louis, 192.4km
Stage 6 (7/10) - Saint-Louis-Louga-Saint-Louis, 138.2km
Stage 7 (8/10) - Louga-Thiès, 133.2km
Stage 8 (9/10) - Mbour-Dakar, 120.0km
Stage 9 (10/10) - Dakar criterium, 55km - Does not count for GC

Prologue - 1.6km

Raffaele Illiano (Colombia-Selle Italia) has won the prologue time-trial in the Tour du Senegal (2.5), which precedes the event in Burkina Faso beginning at the end of October. On the short, sweet 1.6km prologue course, the 27 year old Italian repeated last year's victory in that stage, though he went seven seconds faster this time round. Taking the race by the scruff of the neck already, Colombia-Selle Italia also had Philippe Schnyder second, with stagiare Mariano Giallorenzo ninth. Promising Argentinean Gerardo Fernandez took third on exactly the same time as the Swiss, while Holland National Team's leader Peter van Agtmaal - normally in the colours of AXA Cycling Team - took fifth. The best placed African was Burkina Faso's Abdoual Sawadogo in seventeenth.

Prologue - Dakar-Bd. General de Gaulle, 1.6km - Top 10
1. Raffaele Illiano (Colombia-Selle Italia, Ita) 2m 04s
2. Philippe Schnyder (Colombia-Selle Italia, Swi) at 0'01"
3. Gerardo Fernandez (Angola, Arg (??) at same time
4. Jerome Brzezicki (Saint Chely d'Apcher, Fra) s.t
5. Peter van Agtmaal (Dutch National Team, Ned) at 0'02"
6. Peter Lemke (RG Nordland, Ger) at 0'03"
7. Jacques Castan (Avenir Cycliste Carcassonais, Fra) s.t
8. Frederic Dayon (Comite du Morbihan, Fra) at 0'04"
9. Mariano Giallorenzo (Colombia-Selle Italia, Ita) s.t
10. Stephane Botherel (Comite du Morbihan, Fra) s.t