Loic Vliegen believes Biniam Girmay can succeed at Tour de France: "He is capable of a lot of things and I am sure he will get there one day"
Cycling
After first week of racing at Tour de France, Biniam Girmay is one of the many top-tier sprinters who are still awaiting stage success. The 23-year old Eritrean already came close in seventh stage where he crossed the line third.
"Friday, he showed on a stage that suited him a little less compared to the other sprinters, that he was still very present. He finished third and he could perhaps have done better if he wasn't hampered in the sprint," he analyzed with RTBF.
"We must not forget that we are at the Tour de France. He fights with the best sprinters in the world. And you always need a bit of luck in the sprint as well. It's not necessarily always the best who wins, but the one who will be best positioned and fastest to cross the finish line."
"It's still a little notch above the Giro," states Vliegen. "But I think he can do it. And if it's not this year, maybe it will be next year. I don't think you should put too much pressure on him either. He is capable of a lot of things and I am sure he will get there one day."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
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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