Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay, who made history at the Tour de France as a three-time stage winner and the first African cyclist to win the points classification, has extended his contract with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028.
Since joining Jean-François Bourlart’s team in the summer of 2021, Biniam Girmay has continuously made his mark on the cycling world, first by becoming the U23 World Championship runner-up in Leuven at the end of 2021, then by winning Gent-Wevelgem in the spring of 2022 and subsequently a stage of the Giro d’Italia the same year.
Last Sunday, he won the points classification of the Tour de France after wearing the green jersey for sixteen days. Victorious in Turin, Colombey-les-deux-Églises, and Villeneuve-sur-Lot, he gave Intermarché-Wanty their first victories on the Grand Boucle and allowed the Belgian team to complete the Grand Tour trilogy.
Biniam Girmay:
“Intermarché-Wanty is like a family to me. The results achieved during this Tour de France have confirmed that Intermarché-Wanty is the perfect team to achieve my goals, with a highly developed Performance structure but while always maintaining a family atmosphere. In all circumstances, the team has supported and trusted me, even in the most difficult moments. Intermarché-Wanty remains my favorite team, so extending the adventure for two more years is simply an obvious choice. I am convinced that we can still achieve great things together, and I am already looking towards the next goals, starting with the Olympic Games! I am really glad to continue this story with my beloved team”
Jean-François Bourlart (CEO) :
“In 2021, we began a fantastic journey with Biniam Girmay. We’ve built on this over the past four years, culminating in this Tour de France that propelled both Biniam and our Intermarché-Wanty team to the pinnacle of world cycling. It was therefore a no-brainer to continue writing this story for another four years, with many more exciting moments to come, I’m sure. This also marks another step forward in the development of our team, which continues to grow year after year.”
Aike Visbeek (Performance Manager):
“The trust betweeen Biniam Girmay and the team is mutual, as this extension clearly shows. Biniam still has a lot of room for growth, so we are delighted that he will continue the adventure with the team. The results during the Tour prove that our approach is working, and now we want to continue on this path and build further together. Our next goal is to win a Monument, and we will be doing everything we can to achieve this in the coming years.”
