Gent-Wevelgem winner - Africa's first Classics winner: Girmay overwhelmed

After becoming the first African professional cyclist to win the Gent-Wevelgem classic, Biniam Girmay is overwhelmed by the hopes that come with it.

"Am I a gift for cycling? Being the first African to win brings pressure. Everyone looks at you and talks about you. I feel that pressure now. I don't see myself as a role model," said the 21-year-old one day after his coup. The morning after Girmay's sensational victory in the Belgian cobblestone race, numerous fans and media representatives had been waiting outside his hotel.

"Got 1000 messages"

The U23 runner-up felt tired above all. "I received 1000 messages," reported Girmay. "I spoke to my wife on the phone, she was able to watch the whole race. She was crying." On Monday, Girmay made his way to his home country of Eritrea via Paris. "You should celebrate such victories with your family. I would like to go home and there will be lots of celebrations."

Girmay will skip the Tour of Flanders on Sunday as planned. His next race appearances are scheduled for Eschborn-Frankfurt on 1 May and then the Giro d'Italia from 6 May. Girmay hopes that the fuss surrounding him will have died down by then. "I like racing and winning. But I don't like the attention and the cameras. I'm not ready for that."

Girmay came into professional cycling through the UCI's development programme. In Africa, they are now hoping for more victories to encourage more people to take up cycling. In 2025, Rwanda's capital Kigali will host the Road World Championships, the UCI's biggest race, for the first time in Africa.

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