Tour Down Under comes as a very appealing season opener to Biniam Girmay: "I prefer to race in the hot weather than the cold"
Cycling
With Tour Down Under comfortably back at its place as season opener, many riders choose this race as an opportunity to test their legs against the rest. And in much warmer conditions than what you can find in Europe these days. This in particular appeals to Biniam Girmay, who'll make his debut in the Australian race, wearing the new Intermarché - Wanty jersey.
"Personally, I prefer to race in the hot weather than the cold. It's a nice race, it’s also a WorldTour race and for sure I have quite good opportunities to win stages," Girmay said in a pre-race interview.
"Also, it's my first Tour Down Under so I need to change my plan for the past two years because I only started in Europe in the cold weather. I had some good results but didn’t feel very well because I could not do my best due to the weather, so we are trying to change a little bit and start here."
"To be honest I’m really focused on the beginning of the season. First here, then the Classics. After that, I have plan A and plan B so we will see how the shape is in the first races and after that, we will decide if we go for the Olympics and the Tour."
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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