Biniam Girmay "fifty-fifty" for Tour of Flanders despite escaping Dwars Door Vlaanderen crash fracture free

The 2024 Dwars Door Vlaanderen will long be remembered for the mass crash mid-race that saw a number of pre-race favourites crash out. Among those, was Biniam Girmay.

Unlike Belgian duo Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven who suffered broken collarbone, Girmay was a little better off, escaping without any fractures. His presence for the remainder in the Flanders Classics however is still in question explains Aike Visbeek of Intermarché - Wanty in conversation with Wielerflits.

“The first scan has shown that he has no fracture,” explains Visbeek. “But we have to take a look, because he really took a hit on the ribs. He fell hard. It seems to be not too bad, but it is now important how those ribs react in the coming days. We continue to have hope for the Tour of Flanders. It's fifty-fifty, I think.”

“It was one big misery," he continues. "They all fell really hard. Five or six riders were in really bad shape. Bini could barely talk, I think he fell on a handlebar. It was the same as in last year's Tour of Flanders, the same kind of crash. At seventy, eighty per hour, on a very wide road towards a climb. I think we had four such calls today. It is asking for misery.”