Despite the bumpy road: Biniam Girmay is the first person from Africa to win the Gent–Wevelgem cycle race (March 27, 2022)
Cobblestones – the nightmare of every cyclist with skinny tires. The Spring Classic Gent-Wevelgem is a one-day race that has been held on the roads of Belgium’s western provinces since 1934. It has been part of the UCI World Tour since 2011. The highest obstacle is the Kemmelberg with its enormously steep and unpaved ascent.
21-year-old Biniam Girmay from Eritrea finished first on the 248.8-kilometer route. In the sprint on the home straight, he prevailed against Frenchman Christophe Laporte and Belgian Dries Van Gestel. This success means more than just a win for the young athlete, it is also a milestone for African cycling. “This is so important (…) This will change so much for the future of African drivers,” said Girmay after the race.
Among the approximately 550 professionals in the 18 World Tour teams there are just eight riders from Africa, four of them from South Africa, three Eritreans and one Ethiopian. “We’re a cycling nation, people love the sport,” Girmay said olympics.orgafter becoming U23 Vice World Champion last fall: “Hundreds of people celebrated on the streets.” Sunday’s victory wasn’t his first this year: he won the race in Alcúdia on Mallorca. He does not want to start next weekend in the Tour of Flanders. He misses his partner and his daughter and wants to go home first. »Am I a gift for cycling? Being the first African to win comes with pressure. Everyone looks at you and talks about you. I feel this pressure now. I don’t see myself as a role model,” said the 21-year-old at a press conference on Monday.
The climatic and geographical conditions in Eritrea are strikingly similar to those in Colombia. The Andean country is considered the largest “exporter” of cycling talent. European talent scouts have been busy there for a long time, but African countries were hardly on their radar until recently. Girmay can train in Eritrea in mild weather and at altitudes between 2,300 and 3,000 meters. The same conditions can also be found in Ethiopia and Kenya, the two major runner nations. Since cycling requires far more equipment and a more developed infrastructure than athletics, cyclists have not yet been promoted to the same extent as runners.
Girmay came into professional cycling through the so-called development program of the world association UCI. Girmay’s colleague Daniel Teklehaimanot, also from Eritrea, became the first African to wear the leader’s jersey in the mountains classification at the 2015 Tour de France. The African continent is now hoping for more victories to get more people into cycling. In 2025, the Road World Championships will take place in Rwanda’s capital Kigali for the first time in Africa. Rwanda prevailed over a Moroccan bid.
