Africa’s rise in professional cycling continues through sustained success at the highest level of the sport. Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay and Mauritian all-rounder Kim Le Court-Pienaar carry that momentum into the 2026 season through performances that have expanded opportunities for African riders and strengthened the continent’s profile at the Tour de France.
The 2026 Tour de France began in Barcelona on Saturday, July 4, with the first team time trial to open the race since 1971.
“I’m super happy and super motivated to start here in Barcelona, to go for stage wins, and chase the green jersey. This has been our main goal since the beginning of this season,” Girmay said during NSN Cycling Team’s pre-race press conference in Barcelona on July 2.
The 26-year-old from Asmara begins his fourth Tour de France as the designated sprint leader of NSN Cycling Team, the Swiss-registered squad he joined on a three-year contract following the rebranding of his previous team.
Girmay became the first Black African rider to win the Tour’s green jersey after securing three stage victories during the 2024 edition. The achievement established him among the world’s leading sprinters and marked a defining moment for African cycling.
NSN assembled its Tour roster around Girmay for this campaign.
Sprint specialists Jake Stewart and Lewis Askey form the core of his lead-out train alongside Matîs Louvel and Tom Van Asbroeck. George Bennett and Krists Neilands provide additional strength for the mountain stages and support across the three-week race.
African Riders Summary
| Rider | Career highlights | 2026 role |
| Biniam Girmay | Three Tour de France stage wins, 2024 green jersey, Gent-Wevelgem champion | NSN Cycling Team sprint leader, full lead-out train |
| Kim Le Court-Pienaar | Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes champion (2025), Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey and stage winner (2025), Cape Epic winner (2023) | AG Insurance-Soudal Team leader building toward Tour de France Femmes after injury recovery |
Kim Le Court-Pienaar Extends African Cycling’s Rise
Kim Le Court-Pienaar enters the women’s season with a record built on consistent progression, elite performances and determination.
The 30-year-old from Curepipe, Mauritius, reached another milestone in 2025 when she became the first African rider, male or female, to win a cycling Monument after claiming victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes for AG Insurance-Soudal Team.
She followed that victory by becoming the first African woman to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes.
Le Court-Pienaar led the race for four days and added a stage victory during a landmark campaign.
A crash at the Tour of Flanders in April resulted in a fractured wrist and forced her to miss the defence of her Liège-Bastogne-Liège title.
Le Court-Pienaar returned to competition in June at the Tour de Suisse Women and finished fourth overall, a result that confirmed her condition ahead of the Tour de France Femmes, which runs from Aug. 1 through Aug. 9 between Lausanne and Nice.
She then travelled to Mauritius, where she claimed her fifth national road race title.
“Travelling all the way to Mauritius for just a few days is demanding, both physically and mentally, especially at such an important point in the season when I’m fully focused on preparing for the biggest goal of them all,” Le Court-Pienaar wrote on Instagram after the victory. “To many it might just be the national championships of a very small island. To me, it means everything.”
She has identified the Tour de France Femmes as her primary objective for the season.
Mountain biking formed the foundation of Le Court-Pienaar’s career. Victory at the Absa Cape Epic in 2023 attracted attention from European teams and led to her contract with AG Insurance-Soudal Team the following season.
The achievements of Girmay and Le Court-Pienaar have strengthened the case for continued investment in African cycling infrastructure and talent development.
A Record Built Stage by Stage, Title by Title
Biniam Girmay Full Career Palmarès
2018 | Triple Junior African Champion
- Swept the African Junior Continental Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, winning the road race, individual time trial and team time trial.
2019 | First Professional Victory
- Won Stage 3 of La Tropicale Amissa Bongo to become the first cyclist born in the 2000s to win a professional race.
2021 | World Championship Silver Medal
- Finished second in the U23 Road World Championships in Flanders, becoming the first Black African rider to reach the podium at a UCI World Championship.
2022 | Spring Classics and Grand Tour Breakthrough
- Won Gent-Wevelgem In Flanders Fields as the first African rider to win the race.
- Won Stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia as the first Black African rider to win a Grand Tour stage.
- Won the Eritrean individual time trial title.
2023 | WorldTour Progress
- Won Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse.
2024 | Green Jersey Campaign
- Won three Tour de France stages.
- Won the Tour de France points classification.
- Won Circuit Franco-Belge.
2026 | Current Season
- Won Stage 1 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
- Won Clásica de Almería.
- Won Stage 1 of the Baloise Belgium Tour.
Kim Le Court-Pienaar Full Career Palmarès
2015 | Elite Road Breakthrough
- Won African Games gold in the road race.
2016 | First National Title
- Won the Mauritius road race championship.
- Won bronze at the African Road Championships.
2017 | Continental Podium
- Won silver at the African Road Championships road race.
2019 | Multi-Discipline Success
- Won African Games gold in the mountain bike cross-country marathon.
- Won African Games bronze in the mountain bike cross-country Olympic event.
- Won the Mauritius road race championship.
2022 | Continental Success
- Won African Road Championships gold in the mixed relay team time trial.
- Won silver in the road race and team time trial.
2023 | International Mountain Bike Success
- Won the Absa Cape Epic with Vera Looser.
- Won the SPAR Swiss Epic with Vera Looser.
- Won African Road Championships gold in the mixed relay and team time trial.
2024 | Grand Tour Breakthrough
- Won Stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia Women as the first African woman to win a Grand Tour stage.
- Won the Mauritius road race and individual time trial titles.
2025 | Monument Victory and Yellow Jersey
- Won Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes as the first African rider to win a cycling Monument.
- Won Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes and wore the yellow jersey for four days.
- Won Giro dell’Emilia Internazionale Donne Elite.
- Won a stage of the Tour of Britain Women.
- Won the Mauritius road race and individual time trial titles.
- Finished third overall at the UAE Tour Women.
- Finished the season ranked No. 8 in the UCI World Rankings, the highest finish by an African rider.
2026 | Current Season
- Won the Mauritius road race and individual time trial titles.
- Finished second overall at the UAE Tour Women.
- Finished fourth overall at the Tour de Suisse Women.
