tour de france 2024: stage 3
by Rémy Rossi
Be right, stay left
Before our beloved Biniam made history in the last meters of Stage 3, the only noteworthy detail of the day was arguably the endless stream of roundabouts in the closing kilometers. Perhaps the single thing that made them interesting— other than being a type of traffic architecture that Americans will never fully accept— was that each of the many roundabouts was faster on its left side. As a lefty, I naturally have to enjoy this insignificant detail. But out on the road, each curve correctly navigated was watts saved and meters gained. The Astana Qazaqstan director sportif made this point clear by telling his team to stay left on each pass (thanks to the broadcast for sharing this inside scoop— I’m a fan of these sound bites introduced in last year’s Tour).
Third time is charming: the tale of the sacrificial lamb
Reaching back even further in our memories of such a forgettable stage (until the finale, of course), we have a hazy recollection of a breakaway. Was there one? Or was that simply a mirage in the suffocating heat in the Piedmont region approaching Turin. French rider Fabien Grellier from TotalEnergies made his escape late in the stage to animate an otherwise siesta-worthy day. Perhaps he was fueled by the pair of French wins in the previous two states. And after all, each of those victories came from the breakaway so we might as well keep the party going… soirée anyone? I was happy to see yet another Frenchman at least attempt to keep the dream alive and stick his head out beyond the beastly peloton. We all knew he wasn’t going to make it, but there’s a beauty in that— and something profoundly French, too. But that’s a topic for another day and better wine than I have in my flat at the moment. Go ahead and enjoy the combativity prize, Fabien.
“It’s our moment; it’s our time”
These inspiring words from Biniam Girmay and his even more exceptional sprint performance confirm his distinguished role as Africa’s cycling phenom and ambassador. The heir to Daniel Teklehaimanot’s strong legacy and trailblazing for Eritrean cycling, Girmay contributed yet another historical achievement by winning Stage 3 ahead of some of the best sprinters in the world. Several publications were already anticipating Girmay’s possible landmark victory as the first black African cyclist to win a stage at the Tour, but results are never promised.
Now, though, Girmay’s triumph is written in stone yet he’ll make sure his success doesn’t remain static. This is only another step in more African representation, access, and emphatic wins in the sport of cycling. In his post-race interview, Biniam was visibily moved, speechless by the weight of his personal achievement and its larger significance to his continent: “We must be proud. Now we are part of the big races. Mow it’s our moment, it’s our time.”
“A victory for Africa”
The 2024 edition of the Tour is only Biniam’s second participation yet he’d already grabbed impressive wins at Gent–Wevelgem and the Giro d’Italia in 2022. Today marks the first Tour win from a black African cyclist since other white riders from the continent have taken stage honors, including South Africans Daryl Impey and Robbie Hunter as well as Kenyan-born Chris Froome racing under his British license (oh right, he won a lot).
Before anyone could blink after Biniam’s assertive win (leading by nearly a bike length), supportive cheers at the finish could be heard on the broadcast: “Bini! Bini! Bini!”. He’s a much-loved character in the peloton who’s recognizable, not just for his darker skin in an otherwise largely white bunch, for his blistering pace and strong support of the development of African cycling. There were numerous Eritrean flags flying at the finish in Turin with the two countries sharing a long history.
The territory of present-day Eritrea was a colony of Italy from 1882 until World War II with a subsequent complicated status under Britain and the United Nations administration until the country’s independence in 1991. There are still many cultural and migrational connections between what used to be Italian East Africa and modern-day Eritrea and Italy. Without over-analyzing the historical ties and knots behind Grimay’s liberating win, it’s clear that the Tour de France is now more than ever a global sporting event. Cycling is changing and welcoming winners from regions far away from its traditional European hot zones and that’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to Grimay adding to his growing list of World Tour wins and future black African riders making their mark on the cycling world.
These above photos were taken by Stefan Boness: “The Eritrean capital, Asmara, is a showcase of 1930s Italian Art Deco architecture. Initially created by colonial-era Italians, the style flourished into the '60s as local architects carried on the tradition. There was no modernization in Asmara for 30 years as Eritrea fought to regain independence from Ethiopia, and little war damage.”
One for the history books
As an EF Education–EasyPost fan, I’m also excited that GC contendor Richard Carapaz gets to slip on the yellow jersey for Stage 4. Carapaz finished sufficiently ahead of Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard due to a great escort from the Italian national champion Alberto Bettiol and the rest of EF calvary— he was also the recipient of some luck in the form of a crash inside the last 4 kilometers that held up many of his GC rivals. All four of them are still on the same time, though. It’s also the first time an Ecuadorian rider will wear the yellow jersey. History buffs, go wild today and get to editing all those Wikipedia pages. Biniam’s momentous win made it in within 10 minutes— trust me, I checked.
As I preview Stage 4, I’ll celebrate Bini’s big winny with a nice, cold tinnie.
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