Entered the history of cycling in 2021 for being the first African rider to reach the podium of a world championship, Biniam Girmay could be one of the future big names in the world peloton.
An arrival little noticed but full of hope
His journey, however, foreshadowed none of this.. Born the 2 avril 2000 in Asmara in Eritrea in a country where cycling is the major sport, he quickly discovered cycling thanks to those around him. So, at 18 years he returned to the World Cycling Center in Aigle, in Switzerland where he will start to win a few races and where he will achieve an impressive hat-trick: African junior road champion online, on the individual time trial then on the team time trial. Then he will continue to reveal himself in Belgium by winning the first stage of Auber-Thimister-Stavelot in front of other cycling prodigies, Remco Evenepoel and Ilan Van Wilder.
In 2019 he had a new season full of promise during which he won the third stage of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in the colors of his country in front of some very good sprinters, but also on a stage of the Tour du Rwanda and a very beautiful 5e place on a stage of the Tour de l’Avenir, il signe chez Nippo-Delko-Marseille Provence.
It's a year later, in 2020 that it happens among professionals, and its good performances will continue. Indeed, he wins two stages of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo, achieves a second place in the Tour du Doubs and numerous tops 10. His very good season will even be rewarded with the title of best African runner of the year..
2021, the year of the revelation
But it is really in 2021 that the Eritrean will reveal himself, notably by joining the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert-Matériaux team at the end of a season where he made numerous top finishes 10 even podiums and which ended with a magnificent second place at the Louvain U23 world championships where he overcame a small peloton in the sprint to win this silver medal. After his season 2021, he is once again elected African runner of the year
In 2022, what to expect from Girmay?
Girmay started his season in the best way with a victory in the Trofeo Alcudia in the sprint. His team also announced that he would be at the start of the Tour of Andalusia but especially the Giro and Milan-San Remo which he is “impatient to discover” and where he will have a card to play, he who will be a serious outsider with a background that can suit his characteristics.
His Tour of Italy will undoubtedly be scrutinized with great attention because it will be his first three-week race. Furthermore, we know that the field of sprinters present on this Grand Tour is less strong than on the Tour de France in particular. So, he could have one or even more cards to play on the Italian roads and we could even see him raise his arms for his first Grand Tour.
The Eritrean will therefore be one to watch carefully in each race where he starts. His qualities could allow him to expand his list of achievements and gain even more momentum in the world peloton, before potentially becoming a major runner.
