Eritrean Biniam Girmay tripled the stake on Thursday, July 11 in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Since his professional debut, the man from Asmara has continued to progress.
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We knew that Eritrean riders were capable of showing off their skills on the Tour de France. In 2015, for his first Grand Boucle, Daniel Teklehaimanot had held the polka-dot jersey for best climber for four days, becoming the first black African rider to wear a distinctive Tour de France jersey.
Exceptional talent in junior
” I was on the side of the road when Daniel’s motorcade passed by on his return from the Tour de France in July 2015, it had been an incredible celebration. Like all the kids with me that day, I dreamed of being in his place, but I didn’t imagine that I would experience this too “, testified Biniam Girmay in the columns of The Team. He was 15 years old.
Today, Biniam Girmay is riding around with the green sprinter’s jersey on his shoulders and has already won three victories in this 111th edition. The Intermarché Wanty team sprinter is taking full advantage of the Tour de France’s sounding board to make a name for himself.
By winning the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia on May 17, 2022, at just 22 years old, Biniam Girmay had already caused a sensation. At the time, it was the first time that a black African rider had won a Grand Tour. Two years later, the man from the northernmost country in the Horn of Africa confirmed his feat. It should be remembered that Biniam Girmay had dominated the great German sprinter André Greipel in the sprint in Franceville during the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon in 2019. At the time, we already imagined that we had a gem.
” We have been following Biniam Girmay since his training at the World Cycling Center (in Swiss), because he demonstrated his exceptional talent in junior, notably by winning a duel with Remco Evenepoel (currently second in the Tour de France in the general classification, Editor’s note). One of our priorities is to integrate young talents into our project in order to build the future. We have chosen to invest in the long term in this Eritrean rider and to give him experience, in order to allow him to become a great classics rider “, testified Jean-François Bourlart, general manager of the Belgian team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux in August 2021. Biniam Girmay had left the French Second Division team Delko-Provence for Belgium in May 2021. Since then, he has grown a lot.
” I’m in the shape of my life »
Biniam Girmay is walking on water at the moment. Already a winner in Turin and Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, the Eritrean, idol of an entire continent, has therefore strengthened his green jersey by winning the 12th stage on Thursday 11 July in Villeneuve-sur-Lot ahead of a resurgent Wout Van Aert and the German Pascal Ackermann.
” I’m in the shape of my life. Since I’ve been wearing this green jersey, I feel super fast. “, Girmay savored. And added: ” These three wins are absolutely incredible, they will give me confidence for the rest of my career. The last two years have been quite hard for me. I had shown great things in 2022 (victories in Ghent-Wevelgem and the 10th stage of the Giro), There were expectations around me and I put a lot of pressure on myself. »
In Asmara, the exploits of the local boy are now being fervently followed. Cycling is not a global sport like other sports. But it is good to contribute to the globalization of cycling. If we work well, if European teams take the time to invest in African cycling, it works. For now, I am the only black person in the peloton today and obviously I would like to see others “, says Biniam Girmay who started cycling in 2013 on a mountain bike. One year before the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, the African continent has a great ambassador.