Biniam Girmay Hailu (born 2 April 2000) is a professional

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...

road cyclist Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling in which cyclists ride on paved roadways. It includes Recreational cycling, recreational, Road bicycle racing, racing, Bicycle commuting, commuting, and utility cycling. As users of the road, ...

who currently rides for

UCI WorldTeam A UCI WorldTeam (2015–present), previously UCI ProTeam (2005–2014), is the term used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to name a cycling team of the highest category in professional road cycling, the UCI World Tour or UCI ProTour ...

. At the

2022 Giro d'Italia The 2022 Giro d'Italia was the 105th edition of the Giro d'Italia, a three-week Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tour cycling stage race. The race started on 6 May in Budapest, Hungary, and finished on 29 May in Verona, Italy. The race was won by Ja ...

, he became the first Black African cyclist to win a

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

stage after winning stage 10 in a reduced bunch sprint.

Career

After discovering cycling through his cousin

Meron Teshome Meron Teshome Hagos (born 13 July 1992) is an Eritrean cyclist who most recently rode for . Major results ;2013 : African Road Championships ::1st Team time trial (with Natnael Berhane, Meron Russom and Daniel Teklehaimanot) ::8th Time trial ...

, Girmay joined the

World Cycling Centre The World Cycling Centre (WCC, french: Centre Mondial du Cyclisme) is a coaching and training centre in Aigle, Switzerland. It contains a indoor velodrome, a BMX racing track and other non-cycling facilities. It was built in 2002 to celebrate the ...

in 2018 for his second junior year. That year, he became a triple junior cycling champion of Africa, winning the road race, time trial and team time trial. He also won the first stage of Aubel–Thimister–Stavelot, beating out favorite

Remco Evenepoel Remco Evenepoel (born 25 January 2000) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is the son of Patrick Evenepoel, a former racing cyclist who won the 1993 Grand Prix de Wallonie. Remco Evenepoel started his sport career i ...

. In 2019, with the Eritrea national team, he won the third stage in a sprint of the

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo La Tropicale Amissa Bongo is a road cycling race held in Gabon and is part of the UCI Africa Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale ( ...

, his first professional victory. This made Girmay the first cyclist born in the 2000s to win a professional race. His success continued, winning stage 5 of the

Tour of Rwanda The Tour du Rwanda is a cycling event created in 1988 and based in Rwanda. The event is a cycling stage race that is organized by the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY). The event has been part of the UCI Africa Tour as a category 2.1 The U ...

in a sprint against experienced riders, including

Joseph Areruya Joseph Areruya (born 1 January 1996) is a Rwandan cyclist, who rides for Rwandan amateur team Inovotec. In 2017 he won the Tour du Rwanda. He became the first cyclist from Rwanda to ride in the Paris–Roubaix road race, when he took part in the ...

and

Daniel Turek Daniel Turek (born 19 January 1993 in Lanškroun) is a Czech cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . Major results ;2010 : 1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships ;2012 : 3rd Time trial, National Under-23 Road Champi ...

who finished 2nd and 3rd. For the 2020 season, Girmay joined

UCI ProTeam UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...

, with whom he notably finished second in the

Trofeo Laigueglia The Trofeo Laigueglia is an early season road bicycle race held annually in Liguria, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is held about ten days after the opening to the Italian season, the Gr ...

and the

Tour du Doubs The Tour du Doubs is a single-day road bicycle race, currently held annually in September in the region of Doubs, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and since 2010 it is part of the French Road Cycli ...

. After he was let go by earlier in the year, announced his signing on 6 August 2021. He made his debut for his new team days later at the 2021 Tour de Pologne. On 24 September 2021, he finished second in the under-23 road race at the

UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...

, becoming the first black African rider to achieve a podium finish in the history of the

. On 27 March 2022, in

Gent–Wevelgem Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...

, Girmay was part of the winning breakaway, which also included

Christophe Laporte Christophe Laporte (born 11 December 1992 in La Seyne-sur-Mer) is a French cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Laporte was a member of from 2014 to 2021. He was named in the Team Cofidis start list for the Tour de France for seven co ...

Jasper Stuyven Jasper Stuyven (born 17 April 1992) is a Belgian professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Juniors Born in Leuven, Stuyven had a successful career as a junior rider. In 2009, at age 17, he won the UCI Junior Wo ...

, and

Dries Van Gestel Dries Van Gestel (born 30 September 1994) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . Major results ;2012 : National Junior Road Championships ::1st Road race ::2nd Time trial : 1st Remouchamps–Ferrières–Remouchamps : 4th ...

. In the finale, he was the first to launch his sprint, coming from the back of the group, and held on for the victory. In doing so, he became the first African winner of a

classic cycle race The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most ...

. Later that season, Girmay rode his first Grand Tour at the Giro d'Italia. On

stage 1 Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * St ...

, he finished second to

Mathieu van der Poel Mathieu van der Poel (born 19 January 1995) is a Dutch cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTeam . He competes in the cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, gravel cycling, and road bicycle racing disciplines of the sport and is best known for winning ...

in an uphill sprint. Towards the next eight stages, he amassed four top five finishes in bunch sprints as well as a breakaway stage. On stage 10, in a reduced bunch sprint, he outsprinted van der Poel in a long sprint to win his first Grand Tour stage. He made history as he became the first Black African cyclist to win a stage at a Grand Tour. However, at the podium, as Girmay was opening the bottle of

Prosecco Prosecco (; Italian: ) is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. It ...

, the

wine cork Wine corks are a stopper used to seal wine bottles. They are typically made from cork (bark of the cork oak), though synthetic materials can be used. Common alternative wine closures include screw caps and glass stoppers. 68 percent of all cor ...

hit his left eye at full speed. He was checked by race and team doctors before being sent to the hospital for treatment. The following day, Girmay confirmed that he would abandon the Giro in order to let his eye injury fully heal.

Major results

;2018 : African Junior Road Championships ::1st African Continental Champion Jersey

Road race ::1st African Continental Champion Jersey

Time trial ::1st Gold medal africa

Team time trial : 2nd Overall

Grand Prix Rüebliland The Grand Prix Rüebliland is a junior (ages 17-18) multi-day cycling race held annually in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It was part of the UCI Junior World Cup UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public univ ...

: 3rd Overall

Aubel–Thimister–Stavelot Aubel–Thimister–Stavelot is a junior (ages 17–18) multi-day cycling race held annually in Belgium. It was part of the UCI Junior World Cup UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, Califo ...

::1st Stage 1 : 3rd Trofeo Comune di Vertova : 4th Trofeo Emilio Paganessi ;2019 : 1st Stage 3

: 1st Stage 5 Tour du Rwanda ;2020 :

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stages 3 & 6 : 2nd

: 2nd

: 4th

Giro della Toscana The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was not held in 2015. On 4 April 2016 it was announced that the race will ...

;2021 : 1st

Classic Grand Besançon Doubs The Classic Grand Besançon Doubs is a one-day road cycling race in September in the region of Doubs, France. It is on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport ...

: 2nd

Road race, UCI Road World Under-23 Championships : 2nd

: 5th

Gran Piemonte The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Apennine Mountains, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI ...

: 5th

Route Adélie Route Adélie de Vitré is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in a circuit around Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine, Vitré, France. Between 1980 and 1995 it was called ''Tour d'Armorique''. Since 2005, the race is organized as a UCI ra ...

: 6th

La Roue Tourangelle La Roue Tourangelle is a road bicycle race held annually in the Region Centre-Val de Loire, France. The editions 2002–2004 were reserved for amateurs; from 2005 until 2012, it was organized as a 1.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour; in 2013 it be ...

: 7th Royal Bernard Drôme Classic : 7th

Druivenkoers Overijse Druivenkoers Overijse is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in Overijse, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competi ...

: 7th

Tour du Jura The Tour du Jura is a one-day cycling race held annually in Switzerland. It is part of UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationa ...

: 9th

;2022 : 1st MaillotEritrea2

Time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...

, National Road Championships : 1st

: 1st Trofeo Alcúdia–Port d'Alcúdia : Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 10 ::Held Jersey white

after Stage 1 : 2nd

Grand Prix de Wallonie The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, ...

: 3rd

Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec is a one-day professional bicycle road race held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Its first edition was on September 10, 2010, as the penultimate event in the 2010 UCI ProTour. The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québ ...

: 4th

: 5th

E3 Saxo Bank Classic E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 kil ...

: 6th

Bretagne Classic The Bretagne Classic, also called Bretagne Classic Ouest–France, is an elite cycling classic held annually in late summer around the Breton village of Plouay in western France. The race was originally named Grand–Prix de Plouay and, from 198 ...

: 7th

La Drôme Classic La Drôme Classic ( en, The Drôme Classic) is an elite men's road bicycle racing event held annually in the Drôme region of France, held by the Ruoms Cyclisme Organisation. It is run as part of a weekend of racing in the south Ardèche, known ...

: 10th

Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...

;2023 : 1st Stage 1

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana The Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (; en, Tour of the Valencian Community or Tour of Valencia) is a road cycling stage race held in the Valencian Community (''Comunitat Valenciana''), Spain. Its position in the cycling calendar means it is often ...

: 2nd Trofeo Palma : 3rd Trofeo Ses Salines–Alcúdia

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Classics results timeline

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghirmay, Biniam 2000 births Cyclists at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics Eritrean Giro d'Italia stage winners Eritrean male cyclists Living people Sportspeople from Asmara