Eritrean Olympian Biniam Girmay of Belgian team Intermarché-Wanty kicked off the 112th edition of the Tour de France with an impressive second-place finish in the opening stage.
The 184.9 km race was completed in 3 hours, 53 minutes, and 5 seconds, with Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck claiming first place. Biniam crossed the finish line with the same time, narrowly missing the top spot but asserting his presence early in the competition.
In the intermediate sprint, Biniam secured third place and earned 15 points in the green jersey classification. As a result, he enters Stage Two ranked second overall in both the yellow and green jersey standings and leads the white jersey category for best young rider.
The second stage of the Tour will continue on Sunday with a 209.1 km route.
Biniam Girmay made history in the 111th edition of the Tour de France last year, winning three stages and becoming the first Black African cyclist to win the prestigious green jersey.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
