Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) is making a reputation for himself throughout this 12 months’s Tour de France with two stage wins to his identify already. In successful stage three, he turned the primary black African to win a Tour de France stage, and by successful once more on stage 8, Girmay is on the right track to turning into the following dash king.
These wins come after a robust begin to his 2024 season, which included two top-three stage finishes on the Santos Tour Down Underneath and a 3rd place stage end throughout stage three of this 12 months’s Giro d’Italia.
Girmay, 24, is the primary Black African rider to put on the coveted Inexperienced Jersey within the Tourde France, and he is combating to maintain maintain of it because the Tour enters its second week of racing. Listed below are 13 issues it is best to learn about this dwelling legend.
Girmay hails from Eritrea, a rustic in jap Africa that borders the Crimson Sea and has a inhabitants of roughly 6.34 million. He grew up in Asmara, the nation’s capital metropolis.
Girmay started biking due to his cousin, Meron Teshome, a former skilled bicycle owner.
Girmay’s dad is a biking fan and as a toddler, Girmay used to observe the Tour de France every July on TV together with his father, who would clarify to Girmay how laborious the Tour is and that it’s the “primary sport on the planet.”
Girmay joined the World Biking Centre as a junior elite bicycle owner and have become the triple junior biking champion of Africa by successful the street race, particular person time trial and workforce time trial in 2018.
Girmay’s first skilled win was in 2019 with the Eritrea Nationwide Crew, the place he gained stage three of the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo stage race.
Girmay signed with Intermarché-Wanty in 2021 after having been let go from the Delko workforce roster earlier that 12 months.
In 2021, Girmay turned the primary Black African rider to complete on the rostrum on the UCI Highway World Championships when he completed second within the U23 street race.
When he was 21, Girmay turned the primary rider from a sub-Saharan nation to win a single-day basic race when he took first place on the Gent-Wevelgem race.
In 2022, Girmay turned the primary Black African rider to win a stage on the Giro d’Italia when he gained stage 10, warding off Mathieu van der Pol in a dash end. (As a result of an unlucky podium accident, he needed to abandon the race the following day.)
Girmay is married and has one daughter who’s three. His spouse and daughter at the moment reside in Eritrea.
When Girmay gained stage three of this 12 months’s Tour de France, he turned the primary Black African rider to win a stage within the Tour. Girmay then gained stage eight, outsprinting Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud De Lie.
Girmay can also be the first African rider to put on the Inexperienced Jersey, which he hopes to win outright on the finish of this 12 months’s Tour de France.
Girmay’s idol all through the game has been primarily Peter Sagan, however he’s additionally a Mark Cavendish fan.
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