Intermarché-Circus-Wanty had difficult decisions to do this past year, with a great season and limited financial means. One thing was certain however and that was their commitment to rising star Biniam Girmay, and the team has signed Mike Teunissen with the intent of supporting the Eritrean - something which has been working well.
"You know, this year I've already had some great times with Mike Teunissen. We have already done some races together and therefore also talked a lot," Girmay shared in an interview with In de Leiderstrui. "He is a good guy, someone who explains a lot to me about the Flemish competitions. Then we are talking about the classics, which he is a very smart guy for. That is why it is important to have him in the classics. Mike is strong, smart and knows the races."
Girmay, a sprinter with secondary focus in the cobbled classics, is an incredibly similar rider to Teunissen. The Dutchman was part of the Jumbo-Visma team where in 2019 he won the opening stage of the Tour de France, among other successful results. He's left due to the lack of space for opportunities which he finds more in the Belgian team. However his collaboration with Biniam Girmay is behind the scenes one that is being fruitful.
"I believe in him and trust him, which also allows me to constantly follow his wheel in the races. Unfortunately he has been a bit ill recently, but I hope he will recover in time," Girmay continues. "We need him in the classics. Getting Mike into the team was important to me and the team. He is good at the lead-out, has experience and is very friendly. I have a good relationship with him both on and off the bike.”
On the eve of the E3 Saxo Classic, both riders will look to be in the best form possible at the time being, a critical moment of the spring where there are several prestigious races. The team has been bringing in wins but mostly with it's fast men, and Girmay hopes to return to his winning ways very soon. It is very likely that when that happens, Teunissen will play a role.
"Last year, for example, we had guys with experience like Alexander Kristoff and Andrea Pasqualon in the team, who also have experience with these competitions. That helps me a lot because you need someone to guide you through it," he concluded.
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