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Biniam Girmay the 'game changer' - The past, the present and the future of Black Africans in cycling

NICE, FRANCE - JULY 21: Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Team Intermarche - Wanty celebrates at podium with fans as final Green Sprint Jersey winner during the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 21 a 33.7km individual time trial from Monaco to Nice / #UCIWT / on July 21, 2024 in Nice, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
NICE, FRANCE - JULY 21: Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Team Intermarche - Wanty celebrates at podium with fans as final Green Sprint Jersey winner during the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 21 a 33.7km individual time trial from Monaco to Nice / #UCIWT / on July 21, 2024 in Nice, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

"Let me open the door."

That was the caption on Biniam Girmay's social media post on the first evening of July, after he became the first Black African cyclist in history to win a Tour de France stage. His point: that there is a sea of African talents behind that door, ready to take their place alongside him in the upper echelons of the sport of cycling, and in victory he has created a passage for their ascension.

Freelance writer

Dan is a freelance cycling journalist and has written for Cyclingnews since 2023 alongside other work with Cycling Weekly, Rouleur and The Herald Scotland. Dan focuses much of his work on professional cycling beyond its traditional European heartlands and writes a regular Substack called Global Peloton.