13 things you didn’t know about Biniam Girmay, the first Black rider to win a Tour de France stage

BY KRISTIN JENNY SOURCE: Cyclingweekly

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) is making a name for himself during this year’s Tour de France with two stage wins to his name already. In winning stage three, he became the first Black African to win a Tour de France stage, and by winning again on stage 8, Girmay is on target to becoming the next sprint king. 

These wins come after a strong start to his 2024 season, which included two top-three stage finishes at the Santos Tour Down Under and a third place stage finish during stage three of this year’s Giro d’Italia. 

Girmay, 24, is the first Black African rider to wear the coveted Green Jersey in the Tour de France, and he’s fighting to keep hold of it as the Tour enters its second week of racing. Here are 13 things you should know about this living legend. 

1. Girmay hails from Eritrea, a country in eastern Africa that borders the Red Sea and has a population of approximately 6.34 million. He grew up in Asmara, the country’s capital city.
2. Girmay began cycling thanks to his cousin, Meron Teshome, a former professional cyclist. 
3. Girmay’s dad is a cycling fan and as a child, Girmay used to watch the Tour de France each July on TV with his father, who would explain to Girmay how hard the Tour is and that it is the “number one sport in the world.”

4. Girmay joined the World Cycling Centre as a junior elite cyclist and became the triple junior cycling champion of Africa by winning the road race, individual time trial and team time trial in 2018. 
5. Girmay’s first professional win was in 2019 with the Eritrea National Team, where he won stage three of the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo stage race.
6. Girmay signed with Intermarché-Wanty in 2021 after having been let go from the Delko team roster earlier that year. 
7. In 2021, Girmay became the first Black African rider to finish on the podium at the UCI Road World Championships when he finished second in the U23 road race. 
8. When he was 21, Girmay became the first rider from a sub-Saharan country to win a single-day classic race when he took first place at the Gent-Wevelgem race.

9. In 2022, Girmay became the first Black African rider to win a stage at the Giro d’Italia when he won stage 10, fending off Mathieu van der Pol in a sprint finish. (Due to an unfortunate podium accident, he had to abandon the race the next day.)
10. Girmay is married and has one daughter who is three. His wife and daughter currently live in Eritrea. 
11. When Girmay won stage three of this year’s Tour de France, he became the first Black African rider to win a stage in the Tour. Girmay then won stage eight, outsprinting Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud De Lie.
12. Girmay is also the first African rider to wear the Green Jersey, which he hopes to win outright at the end of this year’s Tour de France.
13. Girmay’s idol throughout the sport has been primarily Peter Sagan, but he’s also a Mark Cavendish fan.