With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Eritrean cyclist makes history with win in Belgium
Listen
1:33
Listen to the Story
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.
Sponsored message
(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.
Sponsored message
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.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
