"It took me already more than one year to get the victory" - Biniam Girmay strikes gold on NSN debut

Biniam Girmay has spent a year dry in 2025, following a breakthrough 2024 where he won multiple times at the Tour de France and conquered the green jersey. Hence 2026 is a year where there is pressure to make a comeback, but in his first outing in the NSN Cycling Team colours, the Eritrean sprinter has succeeded.

"Yeah, to be honest, it took me already more than one year to get the victory. We struggled last year, I had already many times second, but it was not enough," he said in an interview with CyclingPro.net following the finish of stage 1.

"I'm just super happy, motivated and looking forward for this year 2026. I'm happy to be back and to find the momentum, the confidence back. On the other side, I have yellow jersey, so I think, if I remember, this is my second time ever yellow jersey to wear for tomorrow, so I'm super happy and excited. It's again a nice memory here in Vuelta Valenciana".

Girmay was one of the main favourites for the day and after Mads Pedersen crashed out, he was perhaps the man to beat in the arrival to Torrevieja. As the peloton managed to reel back in all the men who attacked in the flat run-in to the finish, a bunch sprint would follow. Girmay timed his sprint well and also had the legs to finish it off.

However, it was a tougher task than what he had envisioned. In the final climbs of the day, which are modest in comparison to what's following on the daily in the final days of the race, the peloton exploded and Girmay had to rely on his teammates to pull off the chase.

"Yeah, to be honest, we didn't expect to have that kind of move on the climb. They surprised us Movistar, but I was in a good position together with my team and we managed quite well to have someone in the front just to keep an eye what's going on and then behind we just keep the gap growing (correction: cutting it, ed.). But what I saw is also Pellezzari super strong. Only him, he continued [having] 20 seconds until the last kilometer".

However, in the end it all turned out perfect, and Girmay has added a second win to the team's tally, after Ethan Vernon did the same a few weeks ago at the Tour Down Under.

"First thanks to my teammate. That's what I'm coming in this team. We have a strong teammate, good atmosphere, everybody's super motivated and they are doing 100% perfect job until the last l. We try to manage to bring back Pellizzari and yeah, this victory I think is belong to my teammate and I wish to keep continue like this and thank you my teammate," he continued.

He is bound to lose the race lead during tomorrow's time trial, however he will nevertheless be in the spotlight. "Yeah, that's a good question. I think I would say 1% of 99 (how well prepared he is for the ITT, ed.). So yeah, but let's see tomorrow. It's a different kind of time trial. So we have also a strong teammate for the GC so we try to keep them as much as possible closer gap and yeah, it will be fun. I think tomorrow with the yellow jersey on the time trial".