"I've been hearing that for two years now, so I'm curious when that will actually happen" - Mike Teunissen doubtful Biniam Girmay will ever move to Europe full time
Cycling
Mike Teunissen and Biniam Girmay are arguably the two best hopes for Intermarché - Wanty in the coming Spring Classics and the entirety of 2024.
Whilst the teammates often ride together, Teunissen admits Girmay isn't the easiest to build a relationship with however. "He doesn't have WhatsApp in Africa, so I don't actually speak to him when he's there," the Belgian recently said in conversation with In de Leiderstrui. "I actually only saw him for the first time before the Omloop and then, after Kuurne he flies home again, so I don't really see him."
During Opening Weekend, Teunissen actually got the better of Girmay, 13th at both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, whilst the Eritrean barely featured. "He said he was good, so I positioned him in front of the Muur. Then it loosened, so I had to sprint myself. But I expected more, yes," admits Teunissen of his leader's performance.
There has been talk that Girmay may move to Belgium in order to help his racing career, although Teunissen has some doubts. "I've been hearing that for two years now, so I'm curious when that will actually happen," he says with a smile. "We are not saying that he should win ten races in a year. Like last year, he dropped out of the Tour of Flanders with a concussion. You can't do anything about that, you know. So there are several factors that play a role: some of them you have no control over, but some you do. And so we tackle that, with the hope of improvement."
It’s a shame MT and the article only skim the surface of the situation. Having been involved in several events in several sports where Africans feature among the elite (and a lot of press articles about their problems with being able to turn up at major events, the last one being Glasgow I think) and seeing the nightmare (and stress) it is for them to be able to compete, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the reason his move to Belgium (officially, as he’s obviously going to be on the road 80% of the time) isn’t progressing is linked to administrative issues, or maybe (quite rightly) he’s stalling or refusing without a guarantee that family would be issued visas to at least sometimes visit. I think he is still of the old-school that acceptsthe such careers and elite cycling is a dream but not worth sacrificing EVERYTHING because OTHERS decide that for YOU that is the only option. MT would do well to think about that each time he routinely returns home to his normal life without a long haul flight, customs interrogations, visa applications, financial security guarantees and and who knows what else.
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