Biniam Girmay was interviewed a few days ago by Nacho Labarga at the Saitama Criterium. The Eritrean sprinter has completed an exceptional season, the one of his consolidation in the elite, winning 3 stages and the green jersey of the Tour de France.
Asked by Marca if he had experienced the best moments of his life, he qualified his answer by making it clear that personal matters are above sporting matters: "It's something unthinkable. But, even so, I wouldn't say it's the best moment of my life, because that was when my daughter was born. After that, though, and especially in sports, it would be these triumphs."
About the madness in Eritrea and everywhere he goes around the world to compete with his compatriots, he explains what he feels and the consequences of fame: "The fans in my country are very spirited. Cycling in Eritrea is really popular. Of course it has its good side, but I really like to live a quiet life." It can be said at this point that the Eritrean fans are quite supportive of their riders, perhaps more than any other nation as they are always very visible in any race they're present in.
Dealing with fame, something that is never easy however: "I love to be supported, but on the other hand I don't like to be with a lot of people because this sport requires a lot of rest. You have to train, you have to rest, you have to follow all the programs. But I can also understand people, because they are very happy. That's why they want to meet me. But I try to go on with my life".
Racism in cycling
Girmay talks about a complicated issue such as racism, stating that his experience as a cyclist is very positive in this regard and that he has always felt very respected:
"I have not experienced any racist episodes during my entire career, I have always been treated very well wherever I have been although we have seen episodes of this style in other sports. In cycling it's the other way around. For example, in Spain, everyone is happy, they encourage me and support me. And here in Japan, the same. Cycling has a positive atmosphere in this aspect".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
- 36 and Ineos have bought a rider on the downward slope. Bring back Dave and Rob who could manage the team. How are Ineos going to win a grand tour with people past their sell by date.paultryan200214-11-2026
- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
🏆 Biniam Girmay wins the 2024 Tour de France Saitama Criterium 💪 #SaitamaCriterium | @saitamacrite
Write a comment