Biniam Girmay's key mistake at the cobbled classics shared by team: "He sometimes forgets the basic things such as eating well and staying hydrated"

Racing the cobbled classics in cycling is often combining great legs with great tactics. In races that are constantly changing throughout the climbs and cobbled sectors it's easy to become overwhelmed with decisions; and Intermarché - Wanty reveal that Biniam Girmay has had less good performances due to missing out on the basics.

"...Let's not forget that he was only 21 years old when he won Gent-Wevelgem. You are still in a discovery phase. And in his breakthrough spring, he didn't have to use his arm warmers all spring. Everything fell into place at that moment, but that's not how it goes every year," team DS Aike Visbeek told Wielerflits. "That super spring may have covered up the things he still had to learn, but he has learned his lesson now. He is a more complete rider.”

The Eritrean rider has an extraordinary talent for the northern classics, both when it comes to the small climbs and sprinting. This has earned him already a meaningful palmarès, but experience comes with racing and many years. Despite the breakthrough he had that year and the leadership position he got in the Belgian team, Visbeek does not forget that the team is still a level below some of the competitors.

“We are dealing with Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, who are head and shoulders above the rest. But our goal is to at least be in the group with Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven and Mads Pedersen," he explains. "He was there in the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday, which was very good to see."

Although he's performed well on the climbs, so far Girmay has not managed to bring a strong result out of this classics block. Visbeek tells that this was partly due to some mistakes he's made whilst having been caught up in the bulk of the action. "Then he is very busy riding for results, and he sometimes forgets the basic things such as eating well and staying hydrated."

“He is a real winner. But he did have to give up. It didn't work out, but you have a little more pressure, you want to show it. He wants to do it for the team, for himself, for his country. But here on the bus he is a cyclist who wants to perform. That is sometimes his pitfall."