Girmay first African to win Tour de France

Biniam Girmay made history by becoming the first African to win a stage at the Tour de France after a late crash disrupted Mark Cavendish’s sprint into Turin. According to the BBC, Girmay from Eritrea clinched victory in a reduced sprint, with Fernando Gaviria of Colombia and Arnaud de Lie of Belgium taking second and third places respectively.

Following the race, an emotional Girmay, aged 24, who previously won a stage at the Giro d’Italia in 2022, expressed gratitude for his achievement.

“I want to thank God for giving me strength and support throughout. When I started cycling, I never imagined being part of the Tour de France. Now that I am here, I am overwhelmed. I want to thank my family, wife, Eritrea, and Africa,” Girmay said.

“We should be proud. We are now part of major races and have achieved success. This is our moment, our time. This victory is for all of Africa.”

Meanwhile, Cavendish and his Astana-Qazaqstan teammates avoided a crash during the race’s closing stages. The 39-year-old, who crashed out of last year’s race during stage eight, expressed relief at escaping unharmed.