This Thursday 25th of January, Biniam Girmay opened the victory counter of team Intermarché-Wanty by winning the Surf Coast Classic in Australia in the sprint.
Four days after concluding the Tour Down Under with two podiums, Girmay this time triumphed in the 158 kilometer classic relying Lorne and Torquay, on a course suited for sprinters.
Thanks to the work of his teammates, the gap to the breakaway was under control and Girmay was launched by Madis Mihkels in the last straight. He won ahead of Elia Viviani and Corbyn Strong, with Mihkels crossing the line in seventh place.
Cadel Evans Road Race
This first victory of 2024 occurs day to day one year after the first success of 2023. For Girmay it is the third year in a row that he lifts his arms in the shirt of Intermarché-Wanty in January.
This Sunday 28th of January, Intermarché-Wanty will conclude its Australian triptych with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the first classic on the World Tour calendar, in which Hugo Page took second place last year.
Cadel Evans Road Race
“Our plan was to control the race from the start and we executed it perfectly. First, with Simone Petilli controlling the pace in the peloton and then with Lilian Calmejane reducing the gap with the breakaways in the last 20 kilometers. We knew it was important to choose the right line in a super fast finale with several roundabouts. This is why Tom Paquot, Georg Zimmermann, Dion Smith and my lead out Madis Mihkels made sure I could start the last hectometers in the slipstream of INEOS Grenadiers. Thanks to the exemplary work of my teammates all day, I was able to sprint towards my first victory of the season. This is the third year in a row that I win in January with Intermarché-Wanty, which is excellent for our confidence. We have a lot of fun together here in Australia, on and off the bike. This evening, we will probably enjoy a glass of bubbles, before focusing on the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on Sunday! »
Cadel Evans Road Race
