Tour de France: Biniam Girmay becomes first Black rider to win stage

Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay wrote his name in the Tour de France history books Monday, becoming the first Black rider to win a stage in cycling’s most prestigious competition.

Girmay, who hadn’t placed better than 101st in the first two stages, finished with a time of 5 hours 26 minutes 48 seconds in the third leg, which stretched a Tour-long 143.4 miles from Piacenza to Turin in Italy.

The 24-year-old was emotional and still processing the feat during a post-race interview.

“It’s for all [of] Africa,” Girmay said. “Congrats, I would say. I’m just super happy today.”

Girmay became the continent’s third rider to win a Tour de France stage, joining South Africans Robert Hunter (2007) and Daryl Impey (2019). Chris Froome, who has won seven Grand Tours — including the Tour de France four times — was born in Kenya but represents Britain.

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“We must be proud. Now we are really part of the big races,” Girmay said. “Now it’s our moment. It’s our time.”

“This is super important. There is a whole continent that has been waiting for this,” Aike Visbeek, performance director for Girmay’s Intermarché Wanty team, said Monday. “It’s been done now, and I hope it will open the floodgates for more riders from Africa. He’s an ambassador in every way.”

Girmay bested Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria and Belgium’s Arnaud De Lie, who finished second and third in the stage.

“I never dreamed to be part of Tour de France. But now, here, I can’t believe it,” Girmay said. “To win in Tour de France … for me was unbelievable.”

In 2022, Girmay became the first Black African to win a stage of a Grand Tour when he won the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia. However, he had to bow out of that race after a cork he popped on the podium struck him in the eye.

Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz holds the yellow jersey as the individual leader and Spain’s Movistar Team holds the best team time through three stages.

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