"It was a great experience, especially on the last climb with all these people" - Biniam Girmay on Tour de France debut
Cycling
Biniam Girmay has had a first taste of Tour de France racing last afternoon in the Basque Country, where he found a stage too hard for his abilities, but has come down satisfied with his form ahead of the remaining three weeks.
"It was a great experience, especially on the last climb with all these people. I really enjoyed it. The last climb was really steep, it's not really my thing, but I'm happy with my condition today," Girmay said after the stage. The Intermarché - Circus - Wanty rider was dropped in the Alto de Vivero as the pace was quite high in the peloton throughout the day, anticipating the GC battle that would happen in the final kilometers.
As Louis Meintjes arrived in the second chasing group the team has not had reasons to complain of it's opening day, with Girmay crossing the finish line in 77th place, over 7 minutes down on stage winner Adam Yates.
Today's second stage into San Sebastián may suit the Eritrean well, it is a question that will only be answered how hard the pace will be throughout the day's climbs, but if there is a conservative approach to them Girmay could find himself in the fight for victory at the end of the day.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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Tour de France stage 2, let's go 💪 #TDF2023 📸 @cyclingmedia_ag
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