Biniam Girmay would like to have Tadej Pogacar as teammate: "He could certainly be an excellent lead-out for me"
Cycling
Biniam Girmay and Gent Wevelgem - a combination that changed the cycling world back in 2022. Now two years later, the Eritrean once again is not seen as top favourite for the classic, however the opponents will certainly keep an eye on him this time. Ahead of the race, Girmay gave an unordinary interview to Het Nieuwsblad, answering a series of alternative questions.
For example, he was asked which rider he would most like to have by his side. "Pogacar, for sure. I love him as a person and with him we will be number one. A guy with style, everyone wants him as a teammate. Very friendly too, we talk sometimes. He is not a sprinter and therefore not a competitor, but he could certainly be an excellent lead-out for me," the Intermarché - Wanty sprinter speaks highly of his Slovenian colleague.
In the interview it also becomes clear that Girmay is not at all susceptible to star allure. He certainly doesn't dream about expensive cars and other fancy gadgets. "I really don't care. Toyota, Lamborghini, Bugatti, it could be stolen from me. As long as I can drive it from point A to point B. I have a Toyota in Eritrea and I really don't want to trade it in unless they have to give me one as a gift. I really can't spend money on a car."
"I prefer to use that to enjoy life. To have a nice meal with my wife or with my family on holiday," he says with gratitude. "I do have idols, but I definitely wouldn't want to trade places with anyone. I don't want anyone else's life. I'm doing pretty well and I'm happy with what I can do. No, definitely. I really don't want to change."
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With all the respect... Why is so much fuss about a guy who won a race 2 years ago and never won anything before or after that flat race? Just asking...
Then I have to ask you, what makes you think so much fuss is made about this guy? It’s not like the media are running after him for interviews and it seems only fair they do the rounds of each team at some point, no? Certainly less fuss about him than say Alaflip who’s probably not more likely to win again. Also, either you have completely ignored his achievements or are ignoring them on purpose because if you’d have spent half the time it took you to write the post checking up his palmarès, i.e. instead of asking others, doing a little homework yourself, you’d realise how ridiculous your criticism sound, sad.
Not criticism. Great cyclist, they just put them as a contender in any classic or "sprint" race.
Well, saying « only ever one one race and nothing b4 or after, doesn’t exactly sound like you’re respectful of a still young riders’ achievements. Also, sorry but someone who arrives surrounded by such established names as Philipsen, (Milan), Merlier, Kooij, Groenewegen IS a sprint contender, no?
Also, reading the article, they aren’t really writing it to make him look like a contender, seems more like they remembered a past winner at an appropriate moment and realised they’d not written much about anyone from Intermarché lately (who are way above Alpacin or Bahrein in UCI team rankings) and should make an effort. Besides, if we accept they write articles about e.g. Kittel’s retirement in the Netherlands, they can pretty much write about anything vaguely connected with cycling.
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- Give him an uphill sprint, then he may win against pure sprinters.
KerisVroom14-03-2025 - Sad if confirmed but like Tadej, he’ll be happy it didn’t turn out to be a disaster. Curious to know how it happened uphill.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- Jonas anandons tomorrow. He was saying farewell to teammates and staff at the finish lineCaralladas13-03-2025
- And considering the details coming out, I’d like to hear from all those mocking his annoyance of having to ride in yesterday’s weather, don’t think they’d have ridden to the end that way with a probable broken hand. Also, he was only one of a very large number equally critical that NOBODY criticised, including Jorgenson, Sheffield and the peleton spokesman. O’connor was probably the most upset by it all but doesn’t seem to have spoken about it?Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- I was wondering what really happened, if he was just not yet peaking at this time of the year, or if this just wasn't going to be his year, but apparently the accident affected him.Ride197413-03-2025
- There is good in everyone. Hitler was kind to his dog wasn't he?Cyclingsbestfan13-03-2025
- We all hope it, like parents, but those type of children only learn from their own mistakes ;-) Yeah, feel lucky I heal pretty fast, even at advanced age but we don’t really get to see how things look under their clothes. For sure they have better pain killers but I don’t ever remember feeling much pain when in a state to ride on, the adrenaline seems to just focus on that one objective. Later is another thing, I once (only time ever) fainted in the shower an hour post accident when trying to clean a wound, luckily another rider who’d witnessed it had sacrificed himself not to leave my side.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- Yep. But if you hit something stationary at 40 mph, your life is changed. And even just sliding ... the fastest I ever crashed was 35 mph in a race, and it was almost 2 months before the last scabs disappeared. These guys heal much faster, but the pain is the same. I am hoping P is more careful so that he has a long career that ends when he decides. But he doesn't seem built that way.
Barney13-03-2025 - He’s lucky Mohoriç warned him not to follow (and that for once he listened to wiser) because the way M only just avoided disaster that day, T would have done a Senna. Regarding the 40mph, it’s not usually hitting the deck that’s crucial, it’s acrobatics and stationary objects that refuse to move much that do the damage.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- If you consider ALL the details, things were not as bad as we’ve come to expect from organisers, especially lately, however much can still be improved, especially communication wise. I guess saying the race is neutralised is maybe not enough to be clear in the “heat” of the action, perhaps adding a warning to stay tuned and not remove earpieces, to know if and when the race might resume would help. Weather is completely random so it can go both ways when things reach a limit and BOTH sides should always be prepared for that. As for harshness of conditions, 10cm of snow is less dangerous and difficult than sleet or iced roads, riding on without stopping is easier than restarting after cooling off, everyone is different, Hinault was kind of a European average built man with his 173/68 at the time, Jonas could play an extra in a concentration camp scene, all respect for him and all the others for finishing, some people’s moaning (from their comfy sofa) made it sound like he abandoned before complaining.Mistermaumau13-03-2025