Biniam Girmay first black African winner of the Grande Boucle after a Piedmontese stroll – Libération

The Eritrean sprinter from the Intermarché-Wanty team triumphs in Turin in the first mass arrival of the Grande Boucle, disrupted by a fall.

We had dozed off in front of the Piedmontese vineyards when Fabien Grellier (TotalEnergies) (slightly) shook us from our torpor. After 164 kilometers where nothing had happened, in the longest stage of the 2024 Tour de France, the Frenchman decided to escape alone. Without believing in anything – it was swallowed less than half an hour later – since the profile of the stage, passed through the rolling mill like lasagna dough, left no doubt as to its outcome: a sprint massive in the streets of Turin. But the winner was not necessarily among the most cited and he marked this particular stage with the seal of history. In a finale disrupted by a fall fatal to the chances of several specialists, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) won strongly, becoming the first black African to win a stage of the Tour de France.

The Eritrean is a man of firsts. In 2022, he was the first black African to win a classic at Ghent-Wevelgem, then a grand tour stage at the Giro, which he had to leave immediately after taking the cork of the prosecco bottle offered to the winner in the face. Now he is the first to win a bouquet in the most prestigious of stage races, a symbol of cycling that is increasingly open to the world. In this respect, another first at the end of the stage: Richard Carapaz becomes the first Ecuadorian to wear the yellow jersey. Thanks to a better place at the finish, he steals it from Tadej Pogacar, probably delighted to get rid of it and the weight of the race with it.

The green jersey in the points classification remains the property of the surprising Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), despite Girmay’s sprint victory. The Norwegian, author of a remarkable season of classics and very active since the start of the Tour, also keeps the polka dot coat of best climber on his shoulders. He could well lose it tomorrow Tuesday, since the peloton attacks its first real mountain stage by leaving Italy for France, with in particular the non-category Galibier pass on the menu. Buon appetito a tutti.