Girmay also wins in green jersey: "If I don't win anything more until Nice, I'll still be very happy"

Biniam Girmay sprinted to his second stage victory in stage eight of the Tour de France. On a challenging finish line, he outpaced Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud De Lie, among others. With this win, the Intermarché-Wanty rider also strengthened his position in the points classification, where he was already leading.

"It's incredible," jubilated Girmay in the post-race interview. "To win twice in the Tour de France, what can I say.... I want to dedicate this victory to my mother and father. They believed in me and supported me fully to become a professional cyclist. I also want to thank my family; I am so proud of them."

The sloping final kilometer suited Girmay perfectly. "That's why I won," chuckled the victor. "I prefer these kinds of finishes. When it's flatter, the other sprinters have more power, but this type of finish, with my weight, suits me perfectly. The team also positioned me perfectly and executed an excellent lead-out. At the beginning of the stage, I didn't feel great due to the rain, but soon I felt super good and managed another strong sprint."

When asked about the final kilometers, Girmay described the sequence of events. "We came very fast from a downhill section, then it started to go uphill. I was already feeling my legs on the descent. When my teammates started the lead-out a kilometer later, my legs were already burning. But I knew the same was true for the others. That's when I realized it was my day," said Girmay, who also thanked Cofidis for their perfect lead-out.

Girmay made significant strides in the points standings. After securing his second stage win, he leads with 216 points, 88 points ahead of second-place Philipsen. "I'm thrilled to have won a stage in the green jersey. Initially, my goal was to win a stage. Now, winning another stage and earning a lot of points is absolutely perfect." Does Girmay have any further aspirations after his second stage victory? "I think I'm almost satisfied. Even if I don't win anything more until Nice, I'll still be very happy."

Visbeek: "He's a lot calmer after his first win"

Sport director at Intermarché-Wanty, Aike Visbeek, missed much of Girmay's victory. "Unfortunately, we had no TV in the car," he told Eurosport. Visbeek noted a highly motivated Girmay in the morning. "I wanted to discuss the intermediate sprint with him, but he was solely focused on the stage. He was very determined today."

The stage followed a somewhat unusual route with a turbulent start that saw only Jonas Abrahamsen break away successfully. "I didn't understand why the initial breakaway didn't gain more advantage," said Visbeek, who recognized an advantage for his rider in the situation. "It made for a more nervous and challenging race. Biniam thrives in such conditions. However, it was chaotic and somewhat peculiar."

According to Visbeek, Girmay's previous win played a crucial role. "Having that first win under his belt made him much calmer. He always has a strong desire to win, which can sometimes make him overly nervous in the final kilometers. But now he remains composed. That initial victory helped with that." Regarding the green jersey, Visbeek remains cautious. "I don't know the exact standings, but to win the green jersey, you need stage wins. We now have two, which is fantastic. Hopefully, we can bring it home," Visbeek concluded.