In writing his name into the history books on stage three as the first black African to win a stage of the Tour de France, Biniam Girmay wasn’t just ticking a box that should have been filled-in much earlier, but instead starting his path to sporting stardom.
On stage eight, another day of frequent rain showers, Girmay, resplendent in the green jersey as the leader of the points classification, outsprinted Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud De Lie in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises to win his second stage of the race, a tally that very few, if any, would have predicted before the race got underway.
