ANALYSIS: How long has it been since Biniam Girmay last tasted victory?

Tuesday, 01 April 2025 at 14:45

After a 2024 season that etched his place in cycling history, the spotlight was always going to be brighter on Biniam Girmay in 2025. But as the spring progresses, there is a growing sense that the Eritrean star, one of the defining riders of last year’s Tour de France, has yet to hit top gear in the new campaign.

While there is certainly no cause for panic, a winless run that stretches back to July 11th, 2024, does raise some questions about his current form. Yes, that’s right, Girmay has not tasted victory since last year’s Tour.

Girmay’s triumphs last year were more than just race victories, they were of course moments of sporting and cultural significance. His win on stage 12 of the 2024 Tour de France, from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, was his third of that edition. With the first of those wins, he not only confirmed himself as one of the most fastest sprinters in the peloton but also made history as the first Black African rider to win a Tour de France stage.

Read also

His performances were central to Intermarché – Wanty’s strong season, and his presence at the front of the biggest races gave Eritrean cycling (and the sport’s global reach) a new level of visibility and pride.

In recent weeks all the pressure has been on Wout van Aert thanks to his lacklustre start to the season. And no, Girmay has not seen a dip in form nearly has severe as the Belgian’s, but let’s take a look at his 2025 campaign so far.

No wins yet in 2025

As of the start of April 2025, Girmay remains without a victory this season. His best result so far was a second-place finish on stage 3 of the Volta ao Algarve in Tavira. More recently, he placed seventh at Gent Wevelgem, a race he famously won in 2022. While that result shows he is still competitive in the biggest one-day classics, it also highlights that the wins aren’t coming just yet.

Read also

For a rider of his calibre, the drought is notable, particularly given how successful some of his rivals have been out of the gate this season.

Flash back to 12 months ago, and Girmay’s 2024 season began with a win at the Surf Coast Classic in January, offering an early indication of form. But it’s worth remembering that outside of that win and his Tour de France heroics, victories were relatively sparse in the first half of the year.

This isn't entirely unusual for the 24-year-old, who doesn’t always peak early. In that sense, 2025 is following a similar pattern, albeit with the caveat that, so far, he’s yet to stand on the top step of the podium.

The rivals are flying

What makes Girmay’s slow start more noticeable is the pace being set by the peloton’s other elite sprinters. Jonathan Milan, for instance, has already won six stages in 2025. The Italian, who has twice claimed the Giro d’Italia points classification, is enjoying a red-hot start to the season and will make his Tour de France debut in July.

In terms of raw speed and power, Milan certainly looks to be the strongest right now. To put things into perspective, Milan has been so strong that Lidl-Trek have removed Mads Pedersen from their squad for this year’s Tour.

Jasper Philipsen, one of Girmay’s main rivals at the Tour, has also had a strong start, although his Classics ambitions may be causing some tension in his season planning. There are questions over whether his focus on the Spring Classics could compromise his chances in the Tour’s sprint stages. Philipsen was unlucky just this past weekend to have a puncture during Gent Wevelgem, at precisely the moment Mads Pedersen launched his attack.

Read also

Meanwhile, Tim Merlier is in arguably the best form of his career, and his explosive start to 2025 has positioned him as a serious contender this summer. In fact, Merlier has been in such strong form that Soudal – Quick-Step have had to make room for him alongside Remco Evenepoel in their Tour de France squad.

In that context, Girmay’s winless run stands out more than it otherwise might. It’s not just that he hasn’t won yet, it’s that his top rivals are racking up victories and generating momentum ahead of the Tour de France.

No, grand tour season hasn’t started just yet. But we’re now just three months away from the Tour getting underway. We’ll be at the start line in the blink of an eye.

A shift in expectations

With the bar raised so high by his breakout 2024 campaign, Girmay is now being judged against a new standard. A seventh place at Gent Wevelgem is still an elite-level result, and second in Tavira is nothing to scoff at, but they’re not wins. And when you’ve won three Tour stages and helped reshape the sport’s narrative, the public and media naturally start to expect more.

Yet, it’s also important to frame Girmay’s season in context. The Classics season is still ongoing, and the biggest targets for many sprinters lie in the summer. Riders peak at different times, and Girmay has historically performed best when the pressure is highest, as evidenced by his Tour de France stage wins last July.

Read also

If Girmay can hit form in time for the Tour, all of these questions will quickly fade. His performances in 2024 showed that he thrives on the big stage, particularly when underestimated by his fans and critics. The idea that he is quietly struggling may soon be replaced by a narrative of perfect timing.

Signs of life, but no fireworks just yet

Watching Girmay’s 2025 campaign so far has been an exercise in patience. The results aren’t poor, far from it in fact, but the absence of a win keeps his name out of the headlines in a season where others are surging.

In Algarve, he showed he can still mix it with the fastest. In Wevelgem, he demonstrated strength in a chaotic, wind-ravaged race that required far more than just sprinting speed. But the killer instinct, the final punch that defined his best rides in 2024, hasn’t quite been on display yet.

Read also

It’s possible that Girmay is simply building slowly, focusing on form for the summer rather than peaking in the early months. At just 24 years old, he still has time to refine how he structures his season. And with the likes of Milan, Merlier, and Philipsen all showing their cards early, Girmay may be wise to hold back and strike when it matters most.

There is no suggestion from the rider himself or his team that anything is wrong. But it is worth acknowledging that, in the arms race of WorldTour sprinting, a slow start can quickly become a narrative, especially for someone who became one of the sport’s most talked-about riders last summer.

His next few races may offer a clearer indication of where things stand. Will he chase wins in the remaining Spring Classics? Or will his team focus squarely on guiding him towards peak form for the Tour de France?

Read also

Either way, the question of whether Girmay is quietly struggling or simply pacing himself will naturally continue to linger until he gets that first win of the year.

Given the weight of what he achieved in 2024, it’s perhaps inevitable that a winless stretch sparks scrutiny. But a closer look suggests this may just be part of the process, a deliberate, measured build-up to another summer of history.

And if that’s the case, Biniam Girmay is playing the long game, and betting that, when the big races come around, he’ll be right where he belongs.

Read also

claps 0visitors 0

Profile & Route Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team explain incredible impact of Tom Pidcock: “He lifts the team”

1 Comments

HoopoeChai 18 April 2025 at 07:44+ 21

Girmay is proof the UCI Rider rankings mean basically nothing on own. I'd rather a dozen sprinters lower ranked over Girmay if formed a team as we'd simply get more consistent top 10 results. I don't even think he's one of the best sprinters despite last years Tour. I mean Tours are becoming more and more climber intensive sprinters can win far easier especially if they are essentially a no body before. No one cared for his threat in the tour. They will this time and I don't believe he's going to have a good result due to it.