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Eritrean cyclist makes history with win in Belgium

KELSEY SNELL, HOST:

A typical spring Sunday in Belgium means bike racing through narrow cobbled streets and steep hills.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

But yesterday's race from Gent to Weveglem produced an atypical winner.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Biniam Girmay makes history.

SNELL: Biniam Girmay of Eritrea, yesterday, just before his 22nd birthday, he became the first Black African to win one of Belgium's classic races.

CHANG: He survived the cobbles and hills, made the winning breakaway. And after 154 miles, he sprinted across the line first.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BINIAM GIRMAY: It's amazing. You know, I didn't expect to race like this. And then in the end to win, it's - I don't know. Still I'm surprised, you know?

CHANG: Now, most of the world's most prestigious bike races are in Europe. And cycling remains a largely white sport.

SNELL: Though Eritrea has produced several professionals already.

JOSE BEEN: After it became independent, cycling became a very prominent sport - even bigger than football and athletics, maybe. There's races there every week.

SNELL: Cycling journalist Jose Been profiled Girmay earlier this year.

CHANG: She said he packs a powerful sprint, and she's impressed by his confidence on the bike.

BEEN: A fantastic rider who, for his age, has a amazing insight in the tactics of racing.

SNELL: Girmay now heads home to Eritrea to see his family after three months in Europe.

CHANG: But he'll be training for the three-week tour of Italy and, in a few years, cycling's first-ever world championship in Africa, in Rwanda, in 2025. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Gus Contreras
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.