Biniam Girmay makes history

Published 10/04/2021 · Updated 01/07/2022

NEWS_Worlds_Girmay

Last Friday, Biniam Girmay Hailu represented Eritrea at the U23 World Championships. The rider, who joined Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert in August, was considered one of the best riders in the 161.1 kilometre race between the historic cities of Antwerp and Leuven. At the age of 21, Girmay took up the challenge and put in an impressive and mature performance.

He was present from the first to the last kilometre of the race and in this way avoided problems on the Flandrien course in Overijse, despite nervousness and numerous crashes in the early stages. Girmay left the last cobbled section in a field of forty riders who caught up with the early breakaway group.

A very attractive race followed on the circuit in Leuven, so that it was unclear until the end whether the race would end in a group sprint or not. Girmay positioned himself patiently and survived the countless rhythm changes in the city centre before tackling the last five kilometres in a small peloton.

Italian Baroncini took advantage of a moment of calm before the last kilometre to attack and distance his rivals in no time. In a breathtaking finish, Biniam Girmay overtook one competitor after the other and won the bunch sprint with 2 seconds behind the new world champion.

By winning the silver medal, Biniam Girmay Hailu makes history as the first black African rider to stand on the podium at the World Championships.

“I am very proud of what I have just achieved, this silver medal means a lot for Eritrea and also for Africa. I am convinced that the future of my country is promising because we have great potential. We have already been working hard for several years to develop it, and with additional experience, more results like this will follow. I look to the future with hope. It would be a dream to go to Rwanda in 2025 to convert this silver medal into a rainbow jersey. It is also an honour for me to achieve this result here in Belgium, the home of my team Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert. This structure gave me the opportunity to show myself at the highest level of international cycling. The team has encouraged and supported me from day one. That’s why I would like to thank them as well.”
Biniam Girmay Hailu:

U23 World Championship:
1.Filippo Baroncini (Italy
)2.Biniam Girmay Hailu (Erythraean)
3.Olav Kooij (Pays-Bas)

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