He dedicated his win to all of us!
Biniam Girmay is a 24-year-old bicyclist from Eritrea, NBC News reports. No stranger to history-making, Girmay was thrust into the spotlight two years ago after becoming the first Black rider to win in a Grand Tour, the term for the three major three-week races: the Giro, the Tour, and the Spanish Vuelta. Girmay took home his victory at the Giro d’Italia, where his post-race injury overshadowed the win; Girmay hit in the eye with a prosecco cork he popped open to celebrate.
Now he has returned, making history again last Monday as the first Black rider to win a Tour de France stage. Girmay raced the 144-mile leg of the tour from Piacenza to Turin, the longest stage of this year’s race. Clinching the victory just ahead of Fernando Gaviria and Arnaud De Lie, Girmay dedicated his win to all of us!
“[My win is] for all Africans. We must be proud now. We are really part of the big races. Now it’s our moment. It’s our time,” Girmay told reporters.
Cover photo: Eritrean Cyclist Biniam Girmay Makes History as First Black Rider to Win a Tour de France Stage/Photo Credit: Daniel Cole/Associated Press/NBC News