Biniam Girmay entered the GP de Québec as one of the main favourites and he delivered as, on his first trip to North America, he's finished on the race's podium ahead of Wout van Aert.
"I’m very happy with this third place at my first participation in the GP de Québec! It feels unreal to achieve a podium from such a strong field of riders with many of world’s best classic riders," Girmay said after the finish. "The level was very high and the pace was hard from the start. Of course we expected a challenging race on this course with several tricky corners and the long and steep climb towards the finish."
With the explosive hills of Québec but a lot of interest for a sprint finish, the route was perfectly suited to Girmay. The leader of Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux raced relatively under the radar throughout the day, saving his legs towards the decisive final lap, where he had to make his effort count.
Counting on his sprint, Girmay stayed in the pack as Benoît Cosnefroy attacked for the victory. Intermarché tried to put on a chase but without effect as everyone looked at the sprinters, and Girmay in the end had the speed to finish in the podium, only beat by Michael Matthews in the run-up to the line, and finishing ahead of Wout van Aert.
"But actually my teammates did all the work for 90 percent of the race, I only had to focus on the final 500 meter. I want to thank them for their work, this achievement is also for them," he concluded. Tomorrow's race at GP de Montréal will be a more difficult task, but also a more accurate effort to that of the World Championships which he is preparing for.
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.
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