Girmay withdraws from Omloop and Kuurne: "I am grateful to my team for giving me the chance to return to Eritrea"

Don't look for Biniam Girmay at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad or Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne this weekend. The Eritrean rider was originally set to start as the team leader for Intermarché-Wanty in the Belgian races. However, those plans have now been scrapped—for a heartwarming reason: Girmay has become a father for the second time!

“Congratulations to Biniam Girmay and Saliem for the birth of their second child,” the team announced on social media. “The team and Biniam decided together that he will skip the Belgian opening weekend and return home to be with his family,” Intermarché confirmed.

Girmay himself shared his joy, expressing his gratitude. “I’m so happy to become a father for the second time. I’m grateful to my team for giving me the opportunity to return to Eritrea and be close to my wife and daughters for this important moment in my life.”

After a well-deserved period with his family, Girmay will return to Europe to focus on his major spring goals. “I will come back to Europe to chase my dream of winning a Monument, with Milan-San Remo, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem, and the Tour of Flanders on my schedule.” Arne Marit will take Girmay’s place in the lineup.

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Girmay aims for success in Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders

Earlier, we spoke with team manager Aike Visbeek about his team leader. The Belgian squad is determined to secure victories in the classics this year. “Right now, it's all about working on the areas where he still needs improvement. In 2022, he made significant progress by combining racing with solid training,” the Dutchman explained.

“For us, his development mainly comes down to gaining resilience through racing. The second point is his cadence and fluidity, which is partly influenced by his training in Eritrea,” Visbeek added. “Milan-San Remo is 300 kilometers long, with about sixty kilometers of real racing after spending 240 kilometers in the wheels at fifty kilometers per hour. Where Mathieu (Van der Poel, ed.) now has the smoothness to pedal for 250 kilometers, Bini wasn’t quite there yet. These are the details we’re working on.”

We also spoke to the new father himself in January, where he confirmed that Milan-San Remo is his biggest goal of the year. “But it’s such a complicated race. I hate the Poggio because I’ve been dropped there three times with just a few hundred meters to go,” Girmay admitted. The Tour of Flanders is also high on his list. “I love the cobbles, and the Oude Kwaremont is my favorite climb. The first time I raced in Flanders, it went terribly—I was pushing only half of my usual wattage. But last year, I had no issues, so I have no excuses anymore,” he said with determination.

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