- Author, Wedaeli Chibelushi & Habtom Weldeyowhannes
- Role, BBC News & BBC Tigrinya
To his fans, he is the ‘African King’ – an international star and the first black African to win a stage of the Tour de France.
Biniam Girmay did it not just once but three times this year in road cycling’s premier event. Barring an accident, the 24-year-old looks set to win the green jersey on Sunday – an award given to the best sprinter in the grueling three-week competition.
But Girmay’s journey to the top was fraught with obstacles – he faced culture shock, visa procedures in Europe and the loneliness of being thousands of miles away from his wife and young daughter.
Now, he embraces his role as a hero in his homeland – Eritrea – and as an inspiration to cyclists across Africa as a whole.
Many believe Girmay’s success will spark change in an overwhelmingly white sport – at this year’s Tour de France he is the only black rider in the entire peloton of 176 riders.
Girmay – or Bini to his loved ones and fans – was born and raised in Eritrea, a small East African country with a population of around 3.7 million.
Unusually, Girmay was never a champion of Asmara – the capital in which he grew up – or Eritrea. Instead, it appeared quite suddenly on the international scene after being spotted by cycling’s world governing body, the UCI.
Girmay told Eritrean media earlier this year that it is easier to win the Tour de France than to be the Eritrean champion. This is because despite its tiny population, the country has a wealth of talented cyclists, many of whom have won medals in world and continental competitions.
Cycling is one of Eritrea’s most popular sports, a pastime dating back to decades of Italian colonial rule.
It is a source of pride for many Eritreans, whose country usually makes global headlines only for its border conflicts and a human rights record that is considered poor by rights groups but staunchly defended by the government.
image source, Getty Images
Girmay’s dreams of becoming a cyclist were sparked by his cousin, African champion Meron Teshome.
The cycling obsession extends further into his family – his younger brother is now a professional rider and his father, a carpenter, used to watch the Tour de France on TV with Girmay every year.
This is my momenta documentary documenting his rise shows an elderly relative telling him: “When I was young no one could beat me, not even you!”
At the age of 12, Girmay won his first mountain bike competition and as a teenager was selected to represent Eritrea as a youth at the African Championships.
While there, he caught the eye of a UCI scout.
He was invited to train at the organization’s World Cycling Center (WCC), a Swiss facility that hosts young athletes from countries where there are there may not be as many opportunities for growth.
In 2018, at the age of 17, Girmay dropped out of school and left home for Switzerland.
The transition was difficult, he had no friends or family around and he was hit by a huge culture shock.
“It was too cold for him when he arrived in July. For us it was hot. He didn’t like cobblestones [which riders of Girmay’s ilk often tackle] and he didn’t understand tactics.”
But he believed that he would overcome these issues and achieve his dream. He even took English classes so he wouldn’t have to use a translator in media interviews when he eventually turned professional.
Sure enough, in 2020, Girmay was picked up by French team Delko.
While training in France, he began planning his wedding with Saliem, his partner back in Eritrea.
But the 2020 coronavirus outbreak scuppered his plans to return home – and also left him unable to compete in Europe as several races were cancelled.
The following year, Girmay suffered another blow. Delco had crashed, leaving the young cyclist without a team.
She was, however, able to travel back to Asmara and marry Salim.
She later gave birth to a baby girl, but Girmay could not stay for long as he was signed by Belgium-based team Intermarché-Wanty.
Securing a visa to continue his cycling odyssey wasn’t easy – This Is My Moment chronicles the new father struggling to get to several visa application centers and embassies while in Asmara.
Eventually, he was able to obtain a long-term visa, which he maintains to this day. However, according to his requirements, Girmay must leave Europe’s 29-nation Schengen zone every three months. He usually returns to Asmara.
In 2022, the cyclist began his history-making streak.
At Gent-Wevelgem in Belgium, he became the first African to win a one-day classic. Girmay joined a four-rider breakaway in the final 30km and took the win with 250m to go.
“Weenie… weenie… Beenie! an ecstatic British commentator boomed as he crossed the finish line. The phrase, a play on the Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered,” has become something of a catchphrase among his fans and the media.
As a sprinter, Girmay quickly accelerates towards the end of the race, embarking on a ferocious run to the finish line.
He is rare – as a mountainous country, Eritrea mostly produces “climbers”, cyclists who compete particularly well on steep climbs.
Girmay topped off his Gent-Wevelgem win with another historic win at the Giro d’ Italia, which after the Tour de France is cycling’s second biggest Grand Tour race.
The celebrations were cut short when Girmay was taken to hospital – he had accidentally popped a prosecco cork in his eye on the winners’ podium.
He made a quick recovery, but without his wife and daughter, he still struggled to enjoy his victory.
image source, Getty Images
Despite this nostalgia, Girmay fought on. His wife and daughter have finally moved to the French city of Nice – and will be waiting for him after the tour ends on Sunday.
They will also be keeping a close eye on cycling enthusiasts back in Eritrea.
After his third stage win in the Tour, people poured into the streets in Asmara, waving the national flag and dancing to a soundtrack of celebratory car horns.
Eritrean fans often come to support Girmay away – at the 2023 Tour de Suisse, one fan told the BBC: “He is an African king. We are proud. Eritrea is known for some bad things like war, now it is different .”
Girmay also represents the wider continent, Mani Arthur, who runs the Black Cyclists Network and has raced for Ghana, told the BBC’s Focus on Africa podcast last week.
“We don’t really see many black riders, especially from Africa, competing in the Tour de France,” he said.
“So it’s incredible to see Girmay not only compete but win a coveted stage. He’s proven he’s among the best riders in the world.”
Eritrean cycling coach Aklilu Haile, who has known Girmay for a decade, believes his success can have a big impact.
“Sometimes cycling seems like it’s only for white people, but now it’s teaching us that cycling is for the whole world,” he said.
After the Tour de France, Girmay will take on the summer Olympics in Paris. He is hoping to win a gold medal, but that is unlikely – he is the only road cyclist representing Eritrea and will therefore have no one to ride him in the peloton to secure space for his sprint.
He also has high hopes for next year’s World Championships in Rwanda, the country where he was first highlighted by the UCI.
For many, a Girmay victory in Rwanda is of enormous significance.
Cycling fans from around the world would witness an African rider cross a finish line on African soil, before being enveloped by a crowd wearing the green, blue and yellow of the Eritrean flag.
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image source, Getty Images/BBC