Eritrean Biniam Girmay (IntermarchéWanty) made history on stage three of the 111th Tour de France, becoming the first black African to win a stage of cyclings biggest race, as a huge crash with just over 2km to go cost Mark Cavendish any chance of claiming a record 35th win.
All eyes had been on Cavendishs bid for glory in Turin, a city where he has tasted success in the past, having won Milano-Torino two years ago. But a massive crash with 2.1km to go caused a split in the bunch, and the 39-year-old, racing in his final Tour, was not present in the final.
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was the first to launch his sprint, but Girmay squeezed past the Dane on the barriers, with Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) second and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) third.
Girmay becomes the first black African to win a stage of the Tour, having become the first black African to win a grand tour stage at the Giro dItalia in 2022. The 24-year-old was hugely emotional at the finish as fans chanted Bini, Bini.
Girmay said: Ever since I started cycling, Ive always been dreaming to be part of the Tour de France but now, I cant believe it, to win the Tour de France in my second year in a big bunch sprint, for me it is unbelievable.
I just want to thank my family, my wife, all the Eritreans, and Africans, we must be proud, now we are really part of the big races, now its our moment, our time. I just want to say congrats to all my whole team, because we didnt have a victory yet [in the Tour de France]. But now is our moment, Im super-happy. This win is for all Africans, congrats, Im just super happy today.
Alpecin-Deceunincks Jasper Philipsen also failed to make the sprint. The Belgian, who won four stages of the Tour last year, had already lost his main leadout man, Mathieu van der Poel to a puncture in what was a hectic run-in.
On a day of firsts, Richard Carapaz (EF Education First) became the first Ecuadorian to claim the yellow leaders jersey, taking it from Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The Slovenian sat up after the general classification times were taken at 5km, allowing Carapaz the chance to take it on countback.
“Cycling is global, before it was mostly European”Biniam Girmay spoke to Matt about his history making victory #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/1dAZcCRDpH
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) 15hrs 20mins 18secs
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) Same time
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) +6secs
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) +21secs
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) Same time
Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
“It’s great for African cycling, Bini’s a legend”Daniel caught up with Mark Cavendish after he got stuck behind the crash #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/KQZRKC9fQZ
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) 5hrs 26mins 48secs
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) Same time
Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny)
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula)
Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)
Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL)
Davide Ballerini (Astana-Qazaqstan)
Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Bryan Coquard (Cofidis)
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Romain Bardet (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) +6
“This is for all of Africa” Biniam Girmay, the first black African stage winner in the Tour de France #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/nDe8ojgPiM
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
If you want to take another look at the final stages of stage three, here you go:
Despite all of the peloton getting the same time due to the crash with 2kms to go, we have news that Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) has taken the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogacar due to his position on the stage.
He has become the first black African to win a stage at the Tour de France and the weight of achievement will be hitting him.
Bini! Bini! Bini! “You make history” @GrmayeBiniam#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/CZpy1qdHYw
Tour de France (@LeTour) July 1, 2024
Neither Mark Cavendish nor Jasper Philipsen finished in the top ten, so perhaps they were caught up in some way by the crash with 2kms to go.
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar)
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny)
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula)
With the safe zone extended to 5kms today, that crash has meant that all the main general classification riders are safe and will be given the same time despite arriving in drips and drabs.
Intermarché-Wantys Biniam Girmay wins it! That is his first victory at the Tour de France and the first time an Eritrean has ever done so. He finishes ahead of Fernando Gaviria, Arnaud De Lie and Mads Pedersen.
BINIAM GIRMAY History maker, again! #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/D9XGhXrSeu
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
We go under the flamme rouge and the peloton has massively shrunk due to the crash. I cannot see Mark Cavendish.
There is a crash with just over 2kms to go.
Astana Qazaqstan are struggling to fight their way to the front as EF Education-EasyPost are at the front now.
Fabio Jakobsens team DSM-Firmenich PostNL hit the front with Lidl-Trek right behind them.
We are into the last 5kms. van der Poel will not be getting back on with the pace of the peloton.
Big moment for Alpecin-Deceuninck as Mathieu van der Poel has a mechanical so Jasper Philipsen looks like he has lot his leadout man.
A puncture for Mathieu van der Poel! It’s unlikely he’ll be able to get back to help Jasper Philipsen in the sprint #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/42JujjDNjN
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike are right at the front protecting Pogacar and Vingegaard respectively. Astana Qazaqstan are trying to move up the left-hand side.
We have a second faller as Bruno Armirail is down.
With the pace ramping up, the peloton is being strung out.
Astana Qazaqstan have given the order over the team radio for the riders to move up ahead of UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike with six roundabouts coming up. Into the final 10km we go.
We are having a lot of heart-in-mouth moments as they go through a number of roundabouts. Pedersen is finally back on his feet and ready to get back on the bike.
There are plenty of roundabouts for the peloton to navigate and you can sense the tension as everyone is scrapping for position.
As I talk about tension we have a faller as Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quick Step) goes down. He looks in a little bit of pain as he is not up quickly.
As well as the sprinters teams getting their affairs in order, the general classification teams are also making sure their leaders are taken care of as the pace ramps up.
We are now inside the final 20kms and I suspect there are some nerves in the peloton ahead of the first bunch sprint of the 2024 Tour.
Of course, todays stage is all about the sprint. But an interesting sub-plot to Cavendish: Project 35 is the race for yellow. Pogacar has the maillot jaune after that stage into Bologna yesterday. But who will be wearing it tonight? The likelihood is it will be Remco Evenepoel or Richard Carapaz.
That is because Pogacar and Vingegaard are likely to sit up at 5km and drift back (they dont really want yellow at this stage as its a hassle), whereas Carapaz and Evenepoel, who are both level on time with Pogacar, are likely to try to finish further forward in an effort to take the jersey. It will come down to how many places in front of Pogacar and Vingegaard they finish.
Incidentally, todays stage is the first to test the extension of the 3km rule to 5km. This means times will be taken at 5km, allowing the GC riders to sit up and relax and leave the sprinters to it on the run-in. Extending this to 5km should make the final less stressful.
Positioning will be everything for the sprinters and their leadouts as it is a technical finish in Turin.
There we go, the peloton has now caught Grellier.
End of the breakaway for @fabien_grellier. He’s caught by the peloton with 28km to goFin de l’échappée pour @fabien_grellier, repris par le peloton à 28km de l’arrivée.#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/Zx7dMzJ8NH
Tour de France (@LeTour) July 1, 2024
The peloton seem quite happy to leave Grellier out there for the moment, knowing that he will not be able stay out in front. The gap sits at ten seconds currently. We are now into the final 30kms.
Grellier knows the game is up as he looks back and the peloton are just keeping him out there by a few seconds to prolong his pain.
The peloton are closing the gap to Grellier, with it now down to around 20 seconds. Grelliers team, TotalEnergies, have been telling him over the team radio that they believe he will win the combativity award.
The UAE Team Emirates riders have been told that the wind might be slightly stronger than first anticipated.
Grellier has got over the top of the Côte de Sommariva Perno to take the one point available in the king of the mountains classification. His lead currently stands at 45 seconds.
There are no more climbs today so it is a steady downhill all the way into Turin.
Press parking at today’s @letour finish is next to FC Torino stadium. Bicycle kicks in the football yesterday. Bicycle races at the football today. pic.twitter.com/3s3MvVVmvD
Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) July 1, 2024
Grelllier has hit the Côte de Sommariva Perno, which is 3.1km in length. The peloton are a further 50 seconds back.
Grellier now has a 47 second advantage over the peloton but there is absolutely no panic. We have another category four climb to come up the Côte de Sommariva Perno, which is in a few kilometres time.
Grelliers lead is now out to over 30 seconds as the peloton seem satisfied to allow a sole rider to be out in front for the time being.
One man who could be in contention for the stage win today is Wout van Aert. He left the Tour last year ahead of stage 18 as his wife was about to give birth. He has won nine stages at the Tour and might be looking to make it ten today in Turin.
We have a rider off the front as Fabien Grellier (TotalEnergies) attacks! He nearly makes a mess of one corner as he goes in a little deep but he is ok.
️ Attaque de @fabien_grellier à 66km de l’arrivée ! Le Français part en solitaire.️ The second attack of the day, by Fabien Grellier as we approach 66km to go! #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/nSB9orr0sV
Tour de France (@LeTour) July 1, 2024
Let us hear from Jasper Philipsen, who is one of the main favourites for todays stage and won four stages last year at the Tour:
“Out of cycling we are just normal humans, but in the race we do everything to get a stage win”Daniel asked Jasper Philipsen about his quotes in the media about ‘trying to be a nice guy, but it’s difficult at the Tour’ and his admiration for Mark Cavendish #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/jiETxVxwdR
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
The pace up the Côte de Barbaresco is fairly steady and there is just one point available in the king of the mountains classification (polka dot jersey). The man who holds the green and polka dot jerseys (Uno-X Mobility), Jonas Abrahamsen, tries to go for the one point but Red-Bull-Bora-Hansgrohes Matteo Sobrero beats him to it. He is from Alba so these are home roads for him and his family and friends were on the climb to cheer him on.
A home KOM point for Matteo Sobrero, who is from nearby Alba #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/hij57FcCAM
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
We have just begun the short climb up the Côte de Barbaresco.
We are approaching the category four climb up the Côte de Barbaresco, which is a short 1.5km climb with a gradient of 6.5%. There should not be any trouble for any of the sprinters but after two tough days, you never know.
Cavendish has made his way back into the peloton after his double wheel change. He did not need to use too much energy to get back as the peloton is taking it easy at the moment.
Ahead of the stage, Mark Cavendish spoke about the difficulty of the first two days and how it would have taken a lot out of everyone, so it will be intriguing to see how the sprinters bodies are feeling. He also mentioned that they had to wake up at ten past six this morning as they had to travel 180km for the start. Not an ideal start to the day for the riders! He has just had a change of wheels and, because the pace in the peloton is so steady, the wheel changes were done very calmly.
Cavendish getting both wheels changed… #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/9NMs0Zqnub
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
For Alpecin-Deceuninck, they will be hoping that Mathieu van der Poel can give a great leadout at the finish to Jasper Philipsen. van der Poel won the elite mens road race at the 2023 UCI Road World Championships and led out Philipsen brilliantly last year as Philipsen won four stages.
There is a chance of rain on todays stage which could make the finish interesting if it comes. The riders will be relieved after two hot days that it is slightly cooler today.
Here is the current points classification after the intermediate sprint in Alexandrie:
Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), 76 pts
Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), 60 pts
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), 41 pts
Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), 35 pts
Here is Visma-Lease a Bikes Matteo Jorgenson getting a little medical attention with the pace steady. The American made the move from Movistar to Visma-Lease a Bike for this season and he has had a strong year so far. He won Paris-Nice and also nearly won the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he nearly pipped Primoz Roglic to the overall victory.
Mark Cavendish is back to try and finish the most incredible dream with that 35th stage victory. He said ahead of last years Tour that it would be his last before retirement but after an innocuous crash on stage eight last year to Limoges where he broke his collarbone, he is back. He was so close to winning stave seven into Bordeaux, where he won in 2010. He thought he was going to win but he was pipped by Jasper Philipsen. He could not change gears, an issue he said had never happened to him before, and he believed he would have won the stage without the issue.
If you have been watching the Netflix series Tour de France: Unchained, you will have heard Cav talking about how being a good sprinter is different to being a good sprinter at the Tour de France. It is more than just going quickly on the pedals.
As well as the form of the sprinters themselves, the finish will also be shaped by the leadouts the sprinters get. Mark Cavendish will have a strong leadout available to him for the sprints at the Tour this year. He has been reunited with Michael Morkov, regarded as one of the best leadout men in the world, who joined Astana Qazaqstan this season from Soudal-Quick Step. Former Quick Step teammate Davide Ballerini will also form part of Cavendishs leadout. Alpecin-Deceunincks Jasper Philipsen, who took second over the line at the intermediate sprint, won four stages last year at the Tour and will be piloted to the line by Mathieu van der Poel. So today it will not only be a battle between Cavendish and Philipsen, but also Morkov and van der Poel.
As everyone has taken the stage steadily so far, plenty of fresh legs for the leadouts. Unsurprisingly Alpecin-Deceuninck are right out at the front but it is Lidl-Treks Mads Pedersen who takes the 20 points on the line in the points classification. Jasper Philipsen was quite far back as his teammates were looking around and comes across in second.
Here comes the intermediate sprint in Alexandrie. Who will go for it to gain points in the contest for the green jersey (points classification) and who might save their legs for the finish? The pace is stepping up and the leadouts begin.
Spoke to Mark Renshaw, Cavendishs old leadout man and now DS, outside the Astana bus this morning. He was saying there are a lot of sprint teams at this Tour but probably not many who can match Astanas depth in terms of leadout. That really is Cavs trump card. Morkov especially. Renshaw said Cavendish was ready. Nervous, yes, but he has been here so many times. Can he get it done? Its going to be fascinating watching things unfold in Turin later on.
We have an intermediate sprint coming up in just 10kms time in Alexandrie so a chance for the sprinters to not only get some points in the green jersey contest but also to test their legs ahead of the sprint in Turin at the finish.
One of the sprinters who could be in contention today is Fabio Jakobsen, who switched in the off-season from Soudal Quick-Step to Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL. He did not complete the 2023 Tour after a crash on stage four and he abandoned ahead of stage 12. Jakobsen has only won one stage at the Tour to date, which came in 2022. Will he be able to make it two today?
Alpecin-Deceuninck are currently at the front of the peloton and one of Cavendishs main rivals today for the stage victory will be Jasper Philipsen, who won two stages at the Tour in 2022 and four last year. On his way to four stage wins last year, he certainly caused some drama as he avoided relegation for a potential squeeze on Wout van Aert on stage three into Bayonne. On stage seven into Bordeaux Philipsen pipped Cavendish after the Manx missile was stuck in gear. His win was challenged for swerving in the closing stages but his win was upheld. Philipsen was then left disappointed on the final stage in Paris, where he won in 2022 but was beaten by Bora-Hansgrohes Jordi Meeus in a photo finish.
We have just had a short climb up the category four climb of Côte de Tortone – Fausto Coppi but there have been no attacks. Uno-X Mobilitys Jonas Abrahamsen, who is currently in the green and polka-dot jerseys, takes the one king of the mountain point available.
Today could be the day that we see Mark Cavendish win his 35th stage at the Tour de France. Let us hear from Cav now, who was speaking to ITV before the start of the stage:
“I’ve got the best group of guys for this final and hopefully we can deliver”Mark Cavendish was tired but confident at the start this morning #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/bN9m9n6lap
ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 1, 2024
It has been a very sedate start to stage three, perhaps in part due to the difficulty of the first two stages and that it is almost certain to be a sprint finish. The average speed is just under 39km/h.
Welcome to coverage of stage three at the 2024 Tour de France. Yesterday was a stage for the breakaway as Arkea-B&B Hotelss Kevin Vauquelin won stage two into Bologna. That was his first Grand Tour victory and means the 2024 Tour has begun with back-to-back French victories after Romain Bardets (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) victory in Rimini on stage one on Saturday.
Over the final climb, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) attacked and it was only defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) who stayed with him. Despite suffering a collapsed lung and fractured ribs and collarbones just a few months ago, Vingegaard showed great form in his quest to become a three-time winner at the Tour and Pogacar may have been a little surprised with that considering how little time in the saddle Vingegaard has had in recent months.
The rest of the GC contenders that includes the likes of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) managed to catch up just before the finish but Pogacar now holds the yellow jersey, taking it from Bardet. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohes Primoz Roglic was arguably the biggest loser of the day, dropping 21 seconds to the likes of Pogacar and Vingegaard.
After two hilly days, stage three represents the first chance for the sprinters in this years Tour. The stage goes from Plaisance to Turin over the course of 230.8km. Could today be the day where Mark Cavendish seals his 35th stage win? He thought he had it last year in Bordeaux, only to get stuck in gear and be pipped by Jasper Philipsen. Last year was supposed to be Cavendishs last before retirement, but a crash on stage eight means he is back this year to break his share of the record with the great Eddy Merckx. His leadout now includes the Dane Michael Morkov, who was a key part of Cavendishs success in winning four stages at the 2021 Tour de France and has moved across from Soudal-Quick Step to Astana Qazaqstan.
With today the first opportunity for the sprinters, it is set to be one hell of a tussle for the stage victory. Alpecin-Deceunincks Philipsen won four stages at the Tour last year and will be gunning for this one today with the help of Mathieu van der Poel. Will Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) fancy this one? You would imagine so. We may also see the likes of Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula) in contention.
Strap yourselves for a gripping ride into Turin.
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