Intermarché sprinter-puncher Biniam Girmay won the third stage of the 2024 Tour de France between Piacenza and Turin. He is the third African to win the Grande Boucle, following South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter.
Published on: 01/07/2024 – 17:11Modified on: 01/07/2024 – 17:28
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Eritrean Biniam Girmay won the third stage of the Tour de France in a sprint on Monday, July 1 in Turin. A historic victory: he is the third African to achieve this feat and the first Eritrean.
Also read: Biniam Girmay, symbol of an African cycling on the rise
He won ahead of the Colombian Fernando Gaviria and the Belgian Arnaud De Lie in a chaotic final with a major collective fall just over two kilometers from the finish.
Philipsen has fallen
This major crash, in which Jasper Philipsen, the big favourite for the sprint, was notably involved, created a split in the peloton.
Without any direct consequence in normal times for the general classification, since the times are frozen in the last three (five on Monday) kilometers in the event of a fall or mechanical incident, this gap still caused the loss of the yellow jersey for Tadej Pogacar, who did not fall, but was delayed.
It is Richard Carapaz who, with the best stage places, takes the yellow jersey, knowing that there are still four of them in the same second with, in addition to the Ecuadorian and the Slovenian, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel and the Dane Jonas Vingegaard.
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🇪🇨 Thanks to @RichardCarapazMEcuador becomes the 26th nation to place a rider at the top of the general classification on @LeTour 💛
🇫🇷 The first was logically France in 1903 and the last country to date was Slovenia with @rogla in 2020. 🇸🇮 #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/ddivSwm0Xh— LCL Yellow Jersey (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 1, 2024
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A new victory for African cycling
Historic for Carapaz, the stage was also historic for Girmay who, at 24, wrote a new important page for African cycling, two years following his stage victory in the Giro d’Italia.
Also read: Biniam Girmay, symbol of an African cycling on the rise
“You know, since I started cycling, the Tour de France, I’ve always dreamed of that. Winning a stage in the Tour de France, for me, is just incredible,” said the 24-year-old rider.
“Thank you to my family, my wife, all the Eritreans, all the Africans, all those who helped me. Now we are part of this great race. It is also your success, it is your moment,” added the Intermarché runner.
With this success, Girmay also offers the first victory on the Grande Boucle to his Intermarché-Wanty team. “We had not yet won on the Tour de France but now, it is our moment,” he added.
With AFP
