Above: Yohann Gène
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Guadeloupe’s Yohann Gène is once again riding in the Tour de France this year, which began in Corsica on Saturday.
The 32-year-old native of Point-a-Pitre was the first rider from Guadeloupe to compete in the Tour when he rode in the 2011 edition of the race, and the first black rider in the race’s history.
He is riding for Team Europcar, which is led by Pierre Rolland and Tour veteran Thomas Voeckler. The latter has his own connection to the Caribbean, as a current resident of Martinique. (It was there he earned the nickname “Ti’ Blanc.”)
Gène’s Europcar teammate, Kevin Reza, a native of Versailles of Guadeloupe descent, became the second-ever black rider in the Tour this year.
Gene will be looking to improve upon his results from last year, when he finished 139th, after a finish at 158th in 2011.