Let's pick up the conversation where we left off, from fourth place at the Brussels Cycling Classic. Girmay had just returned from Eritrea, where he had flown to lick his wounds after the bad fall in Flanders and the concussion. He still has the marks on his face, but now his spirits are light.It seemed like the beginning of a dark period, but yesterday in Nottwill – second stage of the Tour of Switzerland – “Bini” has put them all in line again. Behind him finished Demare, Van Aert (second consecutive third place), Bittiner and Sagan. Full stop.
«The one in Flanders was the worst accident of my career – Girmay said – I suffered a concussion and injuries all over my body. I had to stay in the hospital for three days and then it took three weeks before I could train again».
Win again
The fourth place achieved on June 4th in Belgium was the sign of the condition that was returning, but nothing compared to the confidence boost of the victory at Tour of Switzerland.
«This victory is certainly a boost – smiles Girmay – my first in a real bunch sprint with many sprinters at the start. This gives me a lot of confidence and it also gives the team. We train hard, but so far it hasn't gone the way we wanted due to bad luck and injuries. But if we find each other, our understanding can lead to great things.. This is just what we needed going into the TourWinning again after so many months is really nice."
Eritrean assault
But the best was yet to come for Girmay. In fact, dozens of Eritrean fans emerged from every corner of Nottwill and surrounded him., singing and dancing to his name. And even though we are talking about a WorldTour race, the masseurs of the Intermarché-Wanty They had their work cut out for them to keep them away from the champion as he was trying to breathe.
“I’m always amazed where they keep coming from,” Girmay laughed. “I have no words for it. It means a lot to me and makes a win like this even more special.They came from Italy and Germany to support me. It's fantastic, and having them around motivates me too. I really have to thank them."
Demare grows
demare behind him he doesn't know whether to kick his heels for second place or to be happy because his stock is rising and his presence at the Tour, regained through results, it now takes on a more consistent logic.
«I got stuck behind Van Aert and Girmay – he confirmed – I think it was possible to win, but the time was too short. I only had 100 meters to launch myself, and the finish was very fast, as always in Switzerland. I would have loved to win, that's for sure. Physically I'm fine, but unfortunately there aren't many sprints here.This was an opportunity, there might be another before the final time trial, but now I'll have to wait."
Van Aert starts long
And what does Van Aert say? The Belgian, who recently descended from the Tignes heights, perhaps he knew he didn't yet have the legs for a group sprint, but there's no guarantee. In fact, he also thinks he made a mistake in the sprint.
"I started too early," the Belgian said, with the Eritrean fans chanting in the background. "We were too far ahead. It was a very chaotic sprint and when I finally got some space, I went ahead but there were still more than 300 meters And in the end I couldn't maintain the lead. The feeling is good. Yesterday was a tough race. There were only two escapees, but they made things very difficult for us. So we went hard all day».
The green one is a stage
Girmay's victory at Tour de Suisse he did not only give confidence to the athlete, but It also created expectationsIntermarché-Wanty are desperate to win a stage at the Tour, and this Girmay could give them hope.
«We are aiming for the stage victory – said Aike Visbeek, head of the team's technical team – the green jersey, on the other hand, cannot be an end in itself. It would be nice if Bini could wear that jersey for a day, but we must not forget that he is still 23 years old and has never competed in the Tour. Logic would suggest that he will have to surrender to men like Jakobsen and Philipsen, but of course he can always surprise us. His passion is sprints on slight hills, If this opportunity presents itself at the Tour, we will try to seize it."
