Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay won stage eight of the Tour de France on Saturday at a finish line in the village where former French president Charles de Gaulle lived and is buried.
"One win on the Tour is amazing but to win a second on a stage like this, that suits me, I feel just amazing," said the smiley Girmay.Overnight leader Tadej Pogacar retained his 33-second lead over Remco Evenepoel in the general standings while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard is third.
Girmay is the first rider to win two stages so far with rival sprinters Dylan Groenewegen and Mark Cavendish having won previous sprint stages but who were outside the top 10 Saturday."I stayed near the front on the way up the hill and it was easy because I followed two Cofidis riders up the hill. It was like teamwork."
In a much remembered race incident in 1960 De Gaulle and his wife came out to see the Tour de France pass by their village and, seeing him there, the peloton stopped briefly to greet him. "There's no favourite for tomorrow . Maybe someone on a breakaway, Whoever wins will have to be good," said the yellow jersey.Aiming for a Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double that was last achieved in 1998 by Marco Pantani. Pogacar dismissed any idea he might be tired.
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