This Thursday, July 11, Biniam Girmay took his third Tour de France victory, triumphing once more in the bunch sprint in the streets of Villeneuve-sur-Lot at the end of stage 12.
The Eritrean rider finished the job started by Mike Teunissen, who perfectly prepared the leadout and led him down the home straight. At the end of the 200-kilometer race, Biniam Girmay was ahead of Wout van Aert and Pascal Ackermann.
In the points classification, Biniam Girmay further consolidated his lead with 328 points, 107 more than his closest rival Jasper Philipsen, whom he had also beaten in the intermediate sprint.
Biniam Girmay’s latest victory is the ninth Grand Tour success in the team’s history. It is the fourteenth victory of the season for Intermarché-Wanty, and the twelfth for Girmay in the colors of the Belgian World Team.
Biniam Girmay:
“I’d like to thank my team-mates and the staff. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to prove that I’m the fastest man on this Tour de France. I’m so proud of them. I knew from the start of the Tour that I could achieve good results if all the conditions were right. Over the last two weeks, I’ve proved that I can win any sprint if I’m in the right position. I didn’t feel any stress in the team today. As the final sprint approached, I told the team managers that I was feeling very good. I simply asked my team-mates to give me some support, and that was it. After the crash, I tried to stay out of danger in the chaotic last kilometer, and suddenly, in the last 600 meters, I found Mike Teunissen. He did an incredible job. He brought me up from fifteenth place to the perfect wheel. From then on, I was sure I was going to win. I didn’t feel any wind, and this slightly uphill finish suits me just fine too. I’m so happy, the confidence this green jersey gives me is indescribable. It’s the jersey I want to wear all the way to Nice.”
Points classification:
1. Biniam Girmay 328
2. Jasper Philipsen 221
