"My wheel was suddenly no longer straight and I lost a lot of speed" - Clash with Julian Alaphilippe costs Biniam Girmay a result

Biniam Girmay has stepped on the podium at the Tour Down Under as the new leader of the points classification, however he wasn't satisfied after today. He sprinted to fourth on the day, but was hampered by a late incident.

"I'm quite disappointed. I did my best to survive this day until the end and I am disappointed in the end of this ride," Girmay shared with Cyclingnews. "We didn't have enough men to control things, even though I rode up the climb in good conditions. I am always happy when I can wear the points jersey. It's what I do it for, so I'm glad I have it."

Girmay was one of the few sprinters that survived the hilly final 10 kilometers which saw attacks from some of the race's strongest climbers, but the efforts were not long enough to decisively shape the race fully. Girmay was present in the peloton, but clashed with Julian Alaphilippe already inside the final kilometer.

"I hit him, I think near his foot. My wheel was suddenly no longer straight and I lost a lot of speed," he describes. However, it's unlikely that the Eritrean would be able to fly into victory still without it. "Because of this I couldn't do my sprint the way I wanted. But in the end, I think Del Toro is the strongest."