Eritrean Binian Girmay wins Tour de France stage as Richard Carapaz takes race lead
TURIN – Eritrean Binian Girmay became the first Black African rider to win a stage on the Tour de France when he prevailed in a reduced bunch sprint at the end of the third stage on July 1, as Richard Carapaz took the overall race lead.
Girmay, who was already the first Black African to win a grand tour stage at the 2022 Giro d’Italia, timed his effort to perfection in Turin to beat Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Belgian Arnaud de Lie, second and third respectively.
Carapaz took the overall lead, becoming the first rider from Ecuador to wear the yellow jersey, which he snatched from the shoulders of Tadej Pogacar on added places without time differences. Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard are third and fourth.
Intermarche rider Girmay, 24, who gave the Belgian team their first success on the Tour, is the third African to win on the Grande Boucle after South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter. Multiple tour winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya, but competed for Britain.
“Ever since I started cycling, I’ve always been dreaming to be part of the Tour de France. But now, I can’t believe it, to win the Tour de France in my second year in a big bunch sprint, for me, it is unbelievable. I can’t control my emotions,” a teary-eyed Girmay said.
“With my first Tour last year, I acquired experience and I manage everything better. Winning today is unbelievable. When I went to the Giro, I knew I had the level to fight for the win. But for the Tour, I was thinking I would have to wait 2025, 2026. To win a stage, where all the best sprint specialists are present, is unbelievable.”
“I just want to thank my family, my wife, all the Eritreans, and Africans, we must be proud, now we are really part of the big races, now it’s our moment, our time. I just want to say congrats to all my whole team, because we didn’t have a victory yet (in the Tour de France). But now is our moment, I’m super happy. This win is for all Africans, congrats, I’m just super happy today.”
Girmay, who signalled his coming of age in 2022 when he became the first African to win a one-day classic at Gent-Wevelgem, aged 21, won a chaotic finale marked by a late fall as the riders hit speeds of around 65kmh in the dash to the line.
The huge crash, with 2.3km left of the stage and in which the big favourite for the sprint Jasper Philipsen was involved, created a break in the peloton. Two-time race winner Pogacar, gunning for a historic Giro-Tour double, did not fall but was delayed.
With no champagne on the podium, Girmay was unlikely to suffer the same fate as on the 2022 Giro when he had to pull out of the race after a Prosecco cork flew into his eye on the podium.
France’s Fabien Grellier was the only rider to break away, with 66 kilometres left, and he collected a €2,000 (S$2,914) prize for the most aggressive rider of the day.
The peloton kept the TotalEnergie rider on a tight leash through the Barbaresco vineyards, and reined him in 29 kilometres from the line.
Chaos ensued in the lead-up to the final sprint, however, with a massive pile-up meaning several pre-stage favourites were held up behind the group who battled it out for the win.
The race will now head for the high mountains, notably climbing the lung-busting Col du Galibier, in the fourth stage on July 2 as the peloton enters France with a stage finish in Valloire after a 139.6-km ride from Pinerolo.
While he celebrated claiming the yellow jersey, Carapaz knew he would not keep it too long as Pogacar and Vingegaard are expected to be on the attack on July 2.
“Great day for Ecuador, for me, for my team. It’s a dream, the Tour is the biggest race of the world,” said Carapaz.
“The team did a great job, it’s historical. We want to keep this jersey, but tomorrow is a tough day and we’ve seen that Vingegaard and Pogacar are in great shape. Whether I keep the jersey a day or week, it will be fantastic.” REUTERS, AFP