Biniam Girmay celebrates after winning stage 3 of this year’s Tour de France.
Biniam Girmay celebrates after winning stage 3 of this year’s Tour de France. Tim De Waele/Reuters
Biniam Girmay made history at this year’s Tour de France and the Eritrean cyclist wants to use his success to inspire others to follow his path.
Earlier this month, the 24-year-old became the first Black African rider ever to win a Tour de France stage. He has since gone on to win another two stages, with the potential of more to come for the world-class sprinter.
The Intermarche-Wanty rider, who previously became the first Black African to win a stage at the Giro d’Italia, now wants other Black riders to excel in the sport.
“It’s really good for the impact, a good vision for young talent, because if you work on that, especially in the European teams, if they invest a lot in African cycling for sure we can have a more global sport. And that’s always nice to see,” he told Eurosport during this year’s Tour de France.
“This year I’m the only Black rider in the peloton, it’s not nice, to be honest, so I wish there were more Black riders in the peloton.”
Girmay grew up in the Eritrean capital of Asmara, and fell in love with cycling by watching the Tour de France on television every year.
He says he had stickers of his cycling heroes, Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan, on his bedroom wall and was inspired by the likes of fellow Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot, who became the first cyclist to represent his country at
the Olympic Games in 2012.
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