Cycling: historic victory for Eritrean Biniam Girmay in the Ghent-Wevelgem classic
Eritrean Biniam Girmay clenches his fist of victory as he crosses the finish line of the Ghent-Wevelgem classic.
March 27, 2022. AFP - KURT DESPLENTER
Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow
2 mins
The Eritrean Biniam Girmay won Sunday March 27 Ghent-Wevelgem, the first victory of a rider from a sub-Saharan African country in a cycling classic.
Aged 21, "Bini", his nickname, beat the Frenchman Christophe Laporte to win brilliantly and confirm the hopes placed in him since his debut in cycling.
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This is a monumental feat!
Silver medalist in the hopes category at the Worlds last year, Biniam Girmay signed the most important victory of a rider from sub-Saharan Africa in cycling.
The Eritrean, who turned professional in 2020 with the French team Delko, joined the WorldTour level last spring.
He asserted himself at the end of the season by winning the Classic Grand Besançon before starting the 2021 season with a success at the end of January in Mallorca.
In this classic, we expected the Belgian champion Wout van Aert, it is finally the East African rider who will create the sensation.
"
I came here to get a good result, but I didn't imagine it would be so incredible
," Biniam Girmay said after his victory.
I felt better and better and more and more confident.
In the sprint, I was dealing with strong riders but I had confidence.
Everyone was waiting for what van Aert was going to do.
In fact, it was much easier than expected.
»
“It will change everything for me”
Winner of the African Cyclist of the Year trophy in 2020, becoming the youngest winner at 20, the Eritrean has been escorted since his debut by the most optimistic predictions of world cycling observers.
“Biniam Girmay is a great hope for African cycling.
(...) He progresses very quickly thanks to his natural qualities as a puncher.
We will hear about him in future years.
It is a certainty
”, already assured Bernard Hinault in December 2020.
This first victory for an African rider in a classic World Tour will inevitably open the doors of notoriety to Biniam Girmay in Africa and in the world for those who come from a small country, Eritrea, of six million inhabitants.
“
It will change everything for me,
recognizes Girmay
.
I also hope that this will change everything in the near future for all Africans.
I congratulate them all, we must all congratulate ourselves, we African runners
.
»
Biniam Girmay has planned to return to his country to savor this success and see his family again, then to return to Europe to run the Giro, the Tour of Italy, from May 6 to 29, 2022.
#Replay 🎥 / #GWE22 🇧🇪
What a perfectly maneuvered sprint!
🇪🇷 Biniam Girmay (IWG) wins Gent-Wevelgem at the age of 21!
🎩 pic.twitter.com/YP0Nryul5A
— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) March 27, 2022
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