TDF: Haymaker Girmay Set to Become First Black Rider to Win a Grand Tour Jersey
By: Chinedum Ohanusi
History maker, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea is on the brink of winning the Green Jersey, of the Tour de France, and all he has to do is avoid a crash that wouldn’t allow him to cross the finishing line in Paris.
Barring an accident, the 24-year-old cyclist, has already done enough, by being the first Black African to win a stage at the Premier Road cycling event.
Having won two other stages, he looks set to be awarded the green jersey – a prize given to the best sprinter over the gruelling three-week competition.
When Girmay crashed with 2km left to ride on stage 16 of the tour, the race for the Škoda Green Jersey was transformed from a near-to-certain victory to a cliffhanger.
The Eritrean’s only rival for the points classification victory, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen, won that stage thanks to another powerhouse lead-out by world champion Mathieu van der Poel, and a lead that had been 86 points, 363 to 277, had melted to 32.
Luckily, Girmay was not hurt in that crash; but his journey to the top has not been a walk in the park. It was riddled with obstacles – as he had to battle culture shocks, Europe’s visa procedures and the loneliness of being thousands of miles away from his wife and young daughter.
With the finishing line in sight, and his being crowned the best sprinter imminent, he is now coming to terms with the accolades and fame his exploits have earned his home country – Eritrea.
In fact, Girmay who in 2021 was also the first Black African to win a state in a UCI major event, the Giro de Italia has further cemented his name in the history of global cycling; and will for a long time to come, be an inspiration for other cyclists across Africa as a continent.
