"He acts like a real idiot throughout the entire sprint" - Soren Waerenskjold takes aim at Biniam Girmay after Tour de France stage 8
Cycling
Every sprinter knows that jostling for position leads to some stray elbows and shoulders in a chaotic bunch dash to the finish. In the Tour de France, space is at its highest premium as some of the world's best sprinters come to La Grand Boucle.
Soren Waerenskjold, however, couldn't control his fury at the end of stage 8's sprint as he slammed Biniam Girmay, labelling him a "madman" as he reacted to their fight for positioning in the final corner.
Before Tim Merlier's dramatic comeback and decisive victory, Girmay and the Uno-X Mobility rider can be seen battling for position of the inside line into the corner - with the Norwegian claiming that Girmay crossed the line and hit his handlebars.
“He’s pushing like a madman,” Waerenskjold said on Norwegian TV2.
“I’m really angry, he’s just pushing me through the whole corner. It’s really annoying. He stomps on the pedals several times and rides like a damn idiot. He acts like a real idiot throughout the entire sprint."
Girmay warned by race jury after stage
As the peloton came screaming out of the final corner, it was Girmay who emerged with the best kick out of the two, finishing second in the stage. On the other hand, Waerenskjold lost momentum and could only manage an 11th place at the line.
After the stage, the race jury warned the NSN Cycling Team rider for for "intimidation during the sprint". It's unclear if the warning was handed out for this incident or a different reason.
"It’s reckless behavior and he got hit totally undeservedly in front of me. This was too much. He hit my handlebars. Fortunately, I managed to stay upright, but I did lose speed because of it.”
Girmay hits back at sprint stage criticism
Meanwhile, Girmay has hit back at criticism of quieter Tour de France sprint stages with a pointed comparison to Tadej Pogacar’s Tourmalet demolition on stage 6's mountain test.
The Eritrean believes slow-burning flat stages can offer greater uncertainty than mountain days dominated by one rider.
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“I can completely understand why viewers think that,” Girmay told Feltet, addressing criticism after a subdued road to Bordeaux on Friday. “But we had such a hard day before the sprint stage that nobody wanted to go in the breakaway."
“It depends on what people enjoy, added the former Green Jersey winner. "Sometimes I also find it boring to watch someone riding alone for 40km on a mountain stage.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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