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The longest stage of this 111e edition was also supposed to be the most soporific, a moment of relaxation after a weekend of amphetamines in Italy. It will go down in history for two major firsts that resonate well beyond the traditional borders of a sport that is still very European.
Whether it was the ecstatic victory of “Bini”, hero of an entire continent, or that of Carapaz, a figure already well established in the peloton, they provoked immense emotion in their respective countries.
This is a victory for all Africans.
“It means a lot to me to become the first black African rider to win the Tour de France,” Girmay said.
“This is a victory for all Africans. Now we are truly part of the biggest race. This is our moment, our time,” he stammered, in tears.
“It’s going to be crazy in the country. In training, before the Tour, I was encouraged everywhere. They told me: win the Tour de France. Now they must be throwing tables and televisions in the bars,” he said, followed in Turin as everywhere by a small cohort of compatriot supporters who emigrated to Europe.
The Asmara native becomes, at 24 years old, only the third African rider to win on the roads of the Tour after the South Africans Daryl Impey and Rob Hunter.
He revealed himself in 2022 when he won a major classic, Ghent-Wevelgem, and a stage of the Giro d’Italia, before experiencing a more difficult season.
In Eritrea, where cycling arrived with the Italian colonization between 1885 and 1941, Girmay is already a hero who surpasses the pioneer Daniel Teklehaimanot, who wore the polka dot jersey in the Tour in 2015: “a moment that changed everything for us”, according to Girmay.
Carapaz’s Dream
“My father watched the Tour de France every day,” ‘Bini’ said. “He would turn on the TV right after dinner and call us to show us and tell us how difficult it was. I asked my father if I could also ride the Tour de France one day, he said yes but on condition that you believe in your chances.”
This Monday, Girmay believed very strongly to win the sprint ahead of the Colombian Fernando Gaviria and the Belgian Arnaud De Lie in a chaotic finale with a major collective fall two kilometers from the finish which notably eliminated the favorite Jasper Philipsen.
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This big crash created a break in the peloton at a point in the race where there is no longer any consequence for the general classification since the times are frozen in the last three (five this Monday) kilometers in the event of a fall or mechanical incident.
Except that four riders were in the same second at the start of the stage, separated only by the cumulative number of their places at the finish in the previous days, which earned Tadej Pogacar the jersey. Delayed by the fall, the Slovenian ended up delayed, giving the yellow jersey to Carapaz.
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The Ecuadorian is already used to the greatest honors, having won the Giro d’Italia in 2019 and been crowned Olympic champion in Tokyo. But the pride of the EF Education rider was like that of Girmay, immense, to have written “a historical page for (his) country”.
Carapaz will defend his yellow jersey this Tuesday on the slopes of Galibier, for the arrival of the Tour in France.
