Biniam Girmay made history this year at the Tour de France and the Eritrean cyclist wants to use his success to inspire others to follow his path.

Earlier this month, the 24-year-old became the first black African cyclist to win a stage in the Tour de France. He has since won two more stages, and there is a chance the world-class sprinter will win more.

The Intermarche-Wanty rider, who previously became the first black African to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia, now hopes other black riders will also excel in the sport.

“It’s really good for the impact, a good vision for young talent, because if you work on that, especially in the European teams, if they invest a lot in African cycling, then we can definitely have a more global sport. And that’s always nice to see,” he told Eurosport during this year’s Tour de France.

“This year I am the only black rider in the peloton. That is honestly not nice, so I wish there were more black riders in the peloton.”

Girmay grew up in the Eritrean capital Asmara and became fascinated by cycling after watching the Tour de France on television every year.

He says he had stickers of his cycling heroes, Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan, on his bedroom wall and was inspired by people like fellow Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot, who in 2012 became the first cyclist to represent his country at the Olympic Games.

At 18, Girmay moved to the UCI World Cycling Centre in the Swiss Alps, according to Cycling Weekly. However, it took him a while to adjust to life outside Africa.

“For a year I did almost nothing because I had to learn,” he said, according to Cycling Weekly. “I didn’t know anything about Europe, it was completely different from Eritrea. I had to learn English, learn the language of cycling, and that takes time.”

After a successful junior career, Girmay quickly found himself riding alongside his heroes and starting to make a name for himself after joining Intermarche-Wanty in 2021. He is now contracted to the team until 2026.

“I am confident that my compatriots will be happy to hear that my future is intertwined with the team that gave me the opportunity to write important pages in African cycling history,” he said after signing his long-term contract.

“It’s a winning combination that will hopefully lead to many more unforgettable moments in the years to come.”

In 2022, Girmay became the first black African to win a stage in one of cycling’s Grand Tours when he beat his rivals in a sprint on stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia.

It was a moment Girmay will never forget, for both good and bad reasons.

Later that same day, the then 22-year-old driver was forced to retire from the race after a prosecco cork exploded in his left eye while he was standing on the podium.

“I can’t believe the success he has achieved in such a short period of time,” legendary Eritrean cyclist Teklehaimanot said of Girmay earlier this year.

“His sprints with the great riders of the world, in such a short time, is his talent, and I think that’s brilliant.”

Historic Tour de France

Girmay made his Tour de France debut last year and wanted to use this year’s race to further his experience of competing against a world-class peloton. Winning a stage, he says, was never really the plan.

However, the Eritrean made history on July 1 by winning a sprint in the third stage of this year’s Tour, becoming the first black African to win a stage.

According to Reuters, only two other African riders, Robbie Hunter and Daryl Impey of South Africa, both white, had previously won stages in the Tour de France.

“Being part of the Tour de France is already incredible. I dreamed of participating and now I can’t control my emotions,” an emotional Girmay said after his first victory, according to Reuters.

“I gained experience with my first Tour last year and I can handle everything better. Winning today is unbelievable.”

Since then he has taken victories in stages 8 and 12. He hopes these performances will be an example to the next generation of young black riders.

“I know it’s a lot of pressure to be one of the big symbols of Africa, but on the other hand it’s also really powerful to push myself,” Girmay told Eurosport.

However, the rider crashed on Tuesday during stage 16, opening up the battle for the green jersey – worn by the points classification leader – which Girmay currently holds.

“Today, honestly, my elbow and knee were really painful, especially my elbow, because I couldn’t move that well because of the stitches,” he said Wednesday.

“The next day is always the hardest, you feel the pain and it’s not nice to sleep, but mentally I’m very motivated, so that gave me a lot of strength.”

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