Daryl Impey of South Africa, who became the first African cyclist to earn the yellow jersey at the Tour de France after the race’s sixth stage, yielded the lead to another African-born rider after Satruday’s eighth stage–Chris Froome of the Sky team, the favorite to win the Tour.
Froome was also born in Africa (in Nairobi, Kenya), though he represents Britain. Impey (above) had held the yellow jersey through the seventh stage as well, preserving a narrow lead until Froome won the eighth stage. Froome held the jersey through Sunday’s ninth stage. Monday is a rest day for the riders.
Impey was quoted by the South African Press Association and Agence-France Presse: “I’m really proud to be the first South African and the first African to wear the yellow jersey….To be able to say I wore the yellow jersey for just one day is something I will treasure forever.”
The Tour de France is in its 100th running, and still struggling to recover from the doping scandals of recent years, which saw seven-time champion Lance Armstrong surrender his titles after admitting to cheating for much of his career.
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