“In Eritrea, they literally say that I have to win every day" - Biniam Girmay ready to make his people proud in 2024
Cycling
After bursting onto the scene in 2022, winning Gent Wevelgem and taking a historic stage victory at the Giro d'Italia, Biniam Girmay had a somewhat quieter 2023. Now though, the Eritrean icon is ready to return to his best form in the coming months.
“Mentally, I feel completely ready for 2024, which may not have been the case last year,” the 23-year-old says in quotes collected by Velo. “After Gent-Wevelgem, I had so many media requests, interviews, this and that. Everyone knows who you are, and there is pressure from all sides. At times I was relaxed about it, but at other times, like after the crash in Flanders, I felt a bit empty. It’s not a big deal, but you learn from it. Mentally, I feel more ready now, but still, there’s no losing, only learning. Both I myself and the team did exactly that in 2023.”
His year started brightly too, winning the Surf Coast Classic in Australia after taking four top-10 finishes at the Tour Down Under. At Opening Weekend however, things became more complicated with placings of 55 and 122 at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, far from where he would have wanted. “With the new cycling, anything can happen,” Girmay says of the weekend. “The races can break up quickly or they can go to the line … It wasn’t the best day, but I feel good on the bike.”
A genuine trailblazer, Girmay is also one of the best supported riders in the peloton. “I love those fans. Without fans, it’s nothing. They give me a lot of strength,” he says of his army of supporters. That massive love and adoration brings with it added pressure though.
“If I finish second now, they are not happy. That’s great, but it also brings pressure. It comes from all sides," he explains. “In Eritrea, they literally say that I have to win every day. Even when there’s a mountain stage, they want me to win, always. It only adds to my morale, but sometimes I have to laugh when I read things like that.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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