Biniam Girmay became the first black African to win a Tour de France stage, taking victory in a reduced sprint finish in Turin. The Eritrean rider powered ahead of Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria and Belgium’s Arnaud de Lie, who finished second and third, respectively.
According to BBC Sports report, the 230.8km route from Piacenza to Turin saw a dramatic conclusion as a crash just over 2km from the finish left many riders, including Mark Cavendish, out of position. All pre-race discussions centered on whether Cavendish could secure a record 35th stage win. However, the late crash thwarted his chances.
Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz of Ecuador donned the yellow jersey, becoming the first from his country to do so. Carapaz’s consistent finishing positions over the first three stages placed him at the top of the general classification, level on time with Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard.
The 24-year-old Girmay, who previously won a Grand Tour stage at the Giro d’Italia in 2022, got emotional and reflected on his historic achievement. “I would say thanks to God for everything, for giving me all the strength and support,” Girmay said. “Since I started cycling I was never dreaming to be part of the Tour de France but now I can’t believe it. I want to say thank you to my family, my wife, Eritrea, and Africa. We must be proud. Now we are part of the big races and have success. Now is our moment, now is our time. This is for all Africa.”
Cavendish, alongside his Astana-Qazaqstan team-mates, was positioned on the right side of the road during the final stages. The 39-year-old expressed relief at avoiding serious injury, having crashed out of the race on stage eight the previous year. “Something was going to happen,” Cavendish said. “You could feel it but you didn’t know where or when. I heard it happening ahead so you’re on the brakes, you skid, and you wait for somebody to hit you from behind. Thankfully we were OK and I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt. You don’t want anybody to crash but I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt so that’s very good news. We didn’t sprint but we’re safe and that’s the main thing.”
Looking ahead, the Tour de France will head into the Alps on Tuesday, tackling the formidable Col du Galibier on a mountainous 139.6km route from Pinerolo to Valloire.
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