"I hope it's not going to happen again!" - Biniam Girmay praying for traditional sprint day on stage 4 of Giro d'Italia

After a third-place finish on the opening sprint of the Giro d'Italia on stage, Biniam Girmay has plenty of reason to be optimistic heading into the second showdown of the sprinters on stage 4.

"I think it went okay! I felt good and as always, if you finish on the podium it's always nice, especially in a Grand Tour," assesses the Intermarché - Wanty sprinter of his performance on stage 3, in a pre-stage 4 interview with Cycling Pro Net. "It gives me good confidence, but today is another day."

With Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas on the attack in the finale of stage 3, the sprinters almost saw their stage win slip away completely. "There was panic," Girmay recalls. "If Pogi and Thomas are at the front, for sure they can arrive but I soon realised we could catch them because we came really fast. I was a little bit nervous when I saw them in front though," he laughs.

"Today is straightforward to the finish line, just really fast. Maybe if they have the same scenario as yesterday it's going to be a big problem for the sprinter teams," Girmay previews. "But I hope it's not going to happen again!"