Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay achieved a historic victory on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 becoming the first black African to win a stage at the Tour de France. Girmay’s win came in a reduced sprint finish on the 230.8km route from Piacenza to Turin, where he outpaced Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria and Belgium’s Arnaud de Lie.
An emotional Girmay, 24, who previously secured a stage win at the Giro d’Italia in 2022, expressed his gratitude and pride in his post-race statement: “Since I started cycling, I never dreamed of being part of the Tour de France. Now, I can’t believe it. This is for all of Africa. Now is our moment, now is our time.”
The day’s race saw drama as British cyclist Mark Cavendish, in pursuit of a record 35th stage win, was hampered by a crash just over 2km from the finish line. Cavendish, who navigated through the crash without injury, remarked, “You could feel something was going to happen. Thankfully, we were OK and I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt. That’s the main thing.”
Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz from Ecuador took the yellow jersey based on overall finishing positions, leading riders like Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification.
The race continues into the Alps on Tuesday, challenging riders with the Col du Galibier on the 139.6km route from Pinerolo to Valloire.
Stage Three Results:
Biniam Girmay (Eri/Intermarché-Wanty) 5hrs 26mins 48secs
Fernando Gaviria (Col/Movistar) Same time
Arnaud de Lie (Bel/Lotto Dstny) Same time
General Classification after Stage Three:
Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-EasyPost) 15hrs 20mins 18secs
Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) Same time
Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick-Step) Same time
