The green jersey of the last Tour de France spent part of the winter in the highlands of Eritrea, in his country. Above 2300 meters above sea level, around Asmara, the capital. “The altitude makes me feel good, and then it’s only a six-hour flight and an hour of time difference”underlines Biniam Girmay. The first black African rider to have won on the Tour (in 2024, three times) therefore returned to Europe on January 14. Three days before the presentation of his team, Intermarché-Wanty, which was held this Friday, in the lounges of a hotel in the Calpe region.
At 24, Biniam Girmay takes the time to detail his plans to a group of media – including DirectVelo. Cautiously, he announces that he is aiming for a stage of the Tour de France, as confirmation of his 2024 performance. But he is also eyeing the Classics campaign, in Belgium with the Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, the E3 Grand Prix and Ghent-Wevelgem (which he won in 2022) or in Italy with Milan-San Remo.
SAN REMO: THE ACCESSIBLE MONUMENT
“Milan-San Remo remains the most complicated race to win but it is the monument that is most within my reach. There is no secret to winning this race. You have to be the strongest, stay focused for almost 300 kilometers, remember to eat well, count your pedal strokes. I think I hate Poggio! I was dropped three times 200 or 300 meters from the summit…
But I believe I can do better. I changed things in my preparation. The Tour of the Algarve and Tirreno-Adriatico will bring me more volume. I certainly missed a few days of competition before Milan-San Remo last year, and we are going to correct that.”
THE TOUR: A STAGE VICTORY
“The objective for the Tour de France? Win a stage. Then, we automatically find ourselves in the race for the green jersey… The first stages inspire me, there are opportunities. Moreover, the yellow jersey is within the reach of sprinters. It is no longer so common today that sprinters can compete for the yellow jersey.
-The 2024 Tour de France gave me more confidence. I didn't know if I was going for a Top 10 or a Top 7 on the stages. Finally, I saw that work pays off. I have made progress with nutrition, I have more experience, I know my body better… I know what I need to do to achieve my goals. I think the whole team gained confidence. On the Tour and on other races on the calendar, I will have the chance to count on Hugo (Page) and Laurenz (Rex). It’s a very solid train for sprints.”
THE WORLD: VERY UNCERTAIN
“The figures speak for themselves: we have more than 5,400 meters of altitude difference at the Kigali World Cup (in Rwanda). If I am able to switch with the best on the last lap, that means that I am ready to play the main stages on a Grand Tour! So, if you ask me my objective for this World Championship, I answer you: gruppetto! (laugh).
This is why I hesitate to participate. I still have time to think, the decision will be made after the Tour de France. I am still aware that it is a very important World Cup. It is a great honor to organize this event on the African continent. For us, it will be an opportunity to show what we can do. If I have to participate, it will be an honor to show the colors of my national team.”
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