Biniam Girmay's feedback from maiden Tour de France sprint: "I followed my teammates, I had full confidence in them"

Biniam Girmay has made his debut at the Tour de France this weekend and rode his first bunch sprint yesterday in Bayonne. He didn't come away with a strong result from the day, but comes away with positive feedback and motivation.

"In this first chance for sprinters of this Tour de France, we showed that we were well present collectively. That was important," Girmay said in a post-race interview. "I followed my teammates, I had full confidence in them. At the key moments that we predetermined, they put me in an excellent position."

He was supported by Adrien Petit in the final kilometers, who brought him to position ahead of the final kilometer. There, the chaos of the many sprinters trying to fight for a win saw him out of place into the final kick, ultimately the Eritrean rode to an 11th place on the finish.

"Only in the final kilometer did we have to wait a little longer to take the lead, in hindsight. I remember the positive, my form is good and there are still many sprint opportunities to come," he concluded. Stage 4 will make for another sprint where he will have the opportunity to test his form, however the leader of Intermarché - Circus - Wanty will likely have to wait for some hillier days to race for a victory.