This year's GP de Québec was one of the hardest in recent years but Biniam Girmay proved his current good form by hanging on to the front of the peloton even when the likes of Julian Alaphilippe and Tadej Pogacar launched strong attacks. In the end it was a second place for the Eritrean sensation.
“It was a particularly difficult edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, harder than the previous two. But I always felt supported by my team, who did a huge amount of work all day," Girmay said in a press release. "From the start, we controlled the race." Girmay wanted a race that would come down to a sprint and he got it, although it was under unusual circumstances.
"In the last two laps, I really suffered with the pace of UAE and Pogacar, but I didn’t panic and kept my rhythm so I wasn’t in the red." In the final lap there were big attacks and Lotto Dstny tried to keep the move alive out front, which meant that several of the fast men in the race struggled and couldn't make it to the sprint. Girmay didn't have a response, but staying in the peloton proved to be the right decision as - unlike Arnaud De Lie for example - he didn't burn himself out in the hardest part of the small climbs.
He started the sprint from a bit far behind Michael Matthews and had to settle for second place, but it was still a strong result for the Intermarché - Wanty rider who improved on last year's third. "It was a special sprint, everyone was going full gas in the last kilometer. I think I maneuvered well in the last 500 meters to gain places, unfortunately, Matthews was the fastest today. I’m happy to reward my team with a nice podium," he concluded.
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