Police Rider Dominates Men’s Elite in Osu Criterium.
An afternoon of pure cycling skill, road control, and raw courage turned TotalEnergies, Osu into a cauldron on Sunday as Solomon Tagoe of the Ghana Police Cycling Team was crowned winner of the 2026 Duku Cycling Championship.
The 4th Edition of the Duku Cycling Festival delivered everything fans love about the sport: breakaways, tactics, heat, and a sprint finish that had the Osu crowd on their feet.
MEN’S ELITE: 120KM OF WAR ON TWO WHEELS
Flagged into motion by Amoako Boafo, Executive Officer of Dot Ateliers and the brain behind Duku, 80 elite riders 69 men and 11 women rolled out with one thing on their minds: the cash and the crown.
The men’s assignment was brutal: 120KM, 30 laps around the Osu circuit. By lap 10, the road was already boiling.
A dangerous move formed early with Frank Akuffo, Emmanuel Sesi, Victor Cudjoe, Prince Adjei, Solomon Tagoe, Francis Owusu and Alexander Allotey testing the legs.
With 20 laps to go, the race settled. A five-man Police contingent, plus one rider from the Obour Cycling Club, controlled affairs at the front. The pace was relentless.
Then, with 4 laps to go, the decisive moment. Solomon Tagoe and Francis Owusu launched a duo attack and tore clear of the remaining break. They were gone.
Behind, the peloton exploded into echelons. Frank Akuffo, Victor Cudjoe, Emmanuel Sesi, Prince Quaye and strong riders from Gladiators, Team Sky and FCG threw everything at the chase, but the gap held.
With two laps to go, the signal was clear: the winner would come from the Police team. Tagoe and Owusu rode shoulder to shoulder, calculating, suffering, smiling through the pain.
In the final sprint on 28th February Road through to TotalEnergies, it was Solomon Tagoe who got the nod, a narrow but deserved win over teammate Francis Owusu in 2nd. Victor Cudjoe, another police officer, stormed from the chase group to take 3rd, and 4 to 6 completed the podium. Below are the winners for the 2026 Duku Cycling Festival
Solomon Tagoe – 1st Position
Francis Owusu – 2nd Position
Victor Cudjo Akpabli 3rd Position
Frank Akuffo – 4th Position
Prince Quaye – 5th Position
Emmanuel Sesi – 6th Position
Average speed 33.27km/h, with a time of 3 hrs 36 mins,
Of the 80 who started, 45 were dropped along the way and 20 riders finished. The cadence, the heat, the pressure it was beyond description.
WOMEN’S 50KM: NIGERIAN POWER PREVAILS.
The women’s race was no less fierce. Over 50KM, 12 laps, Nigeria’s Patience Effion Otu showed class with a 1st position; Ellen Anim from Gladiators came third; Abigail came third and Kensema with 4th position, all of them too cash respectively.
15 women started the race; 6 pulled out, but the fireworks never stopped.
MORE THAN A RACE
Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Kobena Mensah Woyome, former MP for South Tongu and Chairperson of the Government Relations & Stakeholders Subcommittee, spoke on the theme “Women Empowerment, Health is Wealth.”
He commended the Ghana Cycling Federation and Amoako Boafo for investing in the Osu Cycling Festival.
“Do not see the bicycle only as a means of transport,” Hon. Woyome urged. “See it as an opportunity. A leisure cyclist can gradually develop into a competitive cyclist and eventually a professional athlete representing Ghana on the international stage. Competitions like this are critical to identify promising talent and provide a pathway to professionalism.”
Also in attendance were top executives of the Ghana Cycling Federation.
THE STREET HAS SPOKEN
From 80 riders to a break of 6… to a final duel of 2. Duku 2026 delivered drama, discipline and unity.
The Police Team walked away with the top five spots, but Osu walked away with pride.
As the dust settles on TotalEnergies, one thing is clear: the bar has been raised. And if 2026 was this hot, 2027 promises to be even bigger.
By Elizabeth A. Gyamfi
