The winner of Gent-Wevelgem 2022 is a total picture: young, strong, smart and sympathetic. And of course forever the first African winner of a Flemish classic. It is less certain that he will also become the standard-bearer for cycling on the African continent.
“Why don’t we fly his wife and daughter to Belgium?”
Biniam Girmay left Belgium on Monday afternoon and returns to his wife and daughter in Eritrea. A shame, according to many cycling fans. Understandable for every family person.
Jan Bakelants, teammate at Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, also has mixed feelings. Sportingly, Girmay could have done himself and his team a great service. On Twitter, Bakelants called on his team on Sunday to fly his daughter and wife to Europe, instead of Girmay, who makes the opposite move.
“His daughter and wife can come here for a week to the race. And a rider in shape should reap the benefits of his top form. I speak from experience when I say that the puzzle pieces do not fit together every year.”
“It is often even easier mentally when something is impulsively added to your program, than when you as a rider have pinned yourself all winter on a certain date when you have to be good. Only super champions can do that.”
On the other hand, Jan Bakelants – who is a father himself – naturally understands the family context.
“I have full respect for his choice and maybe it even shows his mental strength. He shows that he can stick to a plan and that is something that we Flemish sometimes have a hard time with.”
“If Wout van Aert decides not to ride the Cyclo-cross World Championships, then we don’t understand. But Wout says it doesn’t fit in his program and is now reaping the benefits.”
Administrative woes are one reason why European cycling teams are still deterred from giving African riders a chance.
Eritrea: no journalists welcome
Moreover, there is also an international context. Both Europe and Eritrea have rules that Biniam Giray must take into account. Non-Europeans cannot travel in Europe without restrictions. And certainly not their family.
“It is not easy for Africans to get their wives and children to Europe,” says Bakelants. “I think Biniam will try it for the second part of the season. He now lives in San Marino, but it turns out to be difficult with visas and passports.”
What certainly does not help is that Biniam Girmay’s homeland is not a free democracy as we know it in Europe.
For example, the VRT tried to send a journalist to Eritrea to record how Girmay would be received there, but journalists are not welcome in the dictatorship.
The rules are strict. For example, top athletes are required by the state to return to their home country after three months abroad. That will also have played a part in Girmay’s decision.
“Administrative misery is also a reason why European cycling teams are still sometimes deterred from giving African riders a chance,” says Jan Bakelants. †You are not always sure that you will get your rider at the start somewhere.”
A bird doesn’t make spring for African riders
Nobody is in doubt at the moment: Biniam Girmay’s sprint in Gent-Wevelgem is not the last we have seen from this 21-year-old top talent. Whether he will thereby pave the way for more Africans in the pack is an entirely different question.
“The proverb a bird does not make spring is not appropriate here”, thinks Jan Bakelants. “There have been African riders who have tried and yet came up a little short.”
“It is early to say that Africa is on the eve of a major breakthrough and will take over in width in the race. That is something the Colombians have done in a sense in the tougher hill races.”
“If you forget a number of Slovenians in that, then the places of honor and victories in the difficult mountain stages are often Colombian.”
African riders who can kick certain values may now have a chance faster.
“This success can bring more attention to African cycling. Then that attention must be properly channeled and the right people must be able to benefit from that attention.”
“Perhaps in the future more value will be attached to the performance of young Africans in small African competitions.”
“And if there are rumors about an African rider who can kick certain values, then maybe teams will decide more quickly to give that rider a chance, despite the administrative difficulties.”
If Biniam Girmay manages to do that, it will immediately be his biggest win.
Listen to the entire episode of De Tribune
You can also listen to the podcast in the Sporza app, click on “podcasts” at the top of the navigation.
