Eritrean Biniam Girmay on Monday dedicated his stage three win at the Tour de France to “the continent of Africa” as Richard Carapaz took the overall race lead in Turin.
“Let me open the door,” 24-year-old Girmay wrote on social media after earlier pointing out he was the “first Black African to win at the Tour.”
“It means a lot personally for me and for the continent of Africa,” he added.
Photo: Reuters
Girmay is the third African to win on the Grande Boucle, first raced in 1903, after South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter.
“Huge congrats to all: Biniam Girmay makes history and wins stage 3 of Tour de France. A great and memorable day indeed for #eritreancycling and #africancycling,” Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane G. Meskel wrote on X.
Multiple Tour winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya, but competed for Britain.
“There are many obstacles for African riders,” Intermarche-Wanty rider Girmay said. “I had to come to Europe, learn English, learn the cycling language, it takes time and support. I should thank my team because with them I have grown every season.”
It was also a first for Intermarche-Wanty.
“We hadn’t won the Tour de France yet, but now it’s our moment,” Girmay said.
Carapaz became the first Ecuadorian to wear the leader’s yellow jersey, taking it from Slovenian Tadej Pogacar who was held up in a late crash in the run to the line.
Carapaz and Pogacar are level on time at the top of the overall standings, but the 31-year-old is ahead thanks to his better final position in the day’s racing.
Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Danish two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard are third and fourth respectively also on the same time.
Girmay pipped Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Belgian Arnaud De Lie after a chaotic finale marked by a late fall as the riders hit speeds of about 65kph in the dash to the line.
The crash, in which the big favorite for the sprint Belgian Jasper Philipsen was involved, created a break in the peloton.
Two-time race winner Pogacar, gunning for a historic Giro d’Italia and Tour double, did not fall, but was delayed.
Veteran Mark Cavendish was held up by a wheel change as he makes his bid for a record 35th stage win.
The 39-year-old prickly sprinter appeared genuinely pleased for Girmay.
“That’s massive, for him, for the Tour, for Africa. He’s a legend now isn’t he,” Cavendish said.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
RSS