Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay Becomes 1st Black African To Win A Stage Of Tour de France

History was recently made when Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay became the first black rider to win a Tour de France stage.

According to The Associated Press, the history-making feat took place on July 2 when he crossed the finish line before competitors Fernando Gaviria and Arnaud De Lie. This comes two years after he became the first Black African to win a Grand Tour when he won the Giro d’Italia in Italy. It was a short-lived celebration as Girmay had to be taken to a local hospital after getting an eye injury he suffered when a champagne cork hit his eye during the podium celebration. No such incident this time around.

Let me open the door. pic.twitter.com/30olmGxTtT

— Biniam Girmay (@GrmayeBiniam) July 1, 2024

Reuters reported that the African rider helped give his Intermarche-Wanty team their first victory on the Tour.

“To be part of the Tour de France is already incredible. I was dreaming of taking part and now I can’t control my emotions,” Girmay said after the victory. “With my first Tour last year, I acquired experience and I manage everything better. Winning today is unbelievable.

“To be honest, when I went to the Giro I knew I had the level to fight for the win but for the Tour I was thinking I would have to wait 2025, 2026. To win a stage where all the best sprint specialists are present is unbelievable.”

Girmay isn’t the first African to win a tour as two other African riders, Robbie Hunter in 2007 and Daryl Impey in 2019, of South Africa have previously won, but they were both white.

In 2022, Girmay also became the first rider from a sub-Saharan country to win a single-day classic at the Gent-Wevelgem race.

“There is a whole continent that has been waiting for this,” said Aike Visbeek, the performance director for Girmay’s Intermarche-Wanty team. “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.”