Biniam Girmay of Eritrea won the prestigious Gent Wevelgem on Sunday, becoming the first African cyclist to win a one-day classic.
“This changes a lot in the future, especially for all African riders,” the 21-year-old said after his narrow and hard-fought triumph in the Belgian cobbled classic.
“I felt confident over the last 250m, but I just came here for a good result, this is amazing.”
Girmay was part of a four-rider breakaway in the final 30km of the epic 248.8km run, and sprung an early sprint from the back of his rivals 250m from the line.
