What bad luck for Biniam Girmay. The team leader of Intermarché-Wanty, also a favorite for the stage victory on Tuesday afternoon, fell twice in the descent towards the finale. The first fall occurred in a group, the second alone. That fall spelled the end for the sprinter: his Giro is over.
Girmay, along with Ben O'Connor among others, skidded and crashed. Several riders were forced off their bikes, but ultimately, it was Girmay who remained on the pavement for an extended period. A few minutes later, in a bid to catch up with the main group, he crashed again, this time solo. Just minutes before these setbacks, Girmay had showcased his strength, finishing second to Kooij in an intermediate sprint. The second crash, however, proved too much, leaving him disheartened and forcing his withdrawal.
Girmay had high ambitions for the Giro, the race where he returned after 2022. That year, he won a stage, wore the points jersey, but had to retire after a champagne cork hit his eye on the podium. He completed the Tour de France last season in his debut, although he never really contended for a stage win in the sprints. He has won twelve times in his career, including Gent-Wevelgem in 2022, which was also a significant victory.
At Intermarché-Wanty, the whole team was built around Girmay, who wanted to go all out for stage wins in the bunch sprints and challenging finales. On day three of the Giro, he was also close but came in too late at high speed to beat Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan. Intermarché-Wanty will now have to regroup and look for other ways to win a stage. In the first three days, Lilian Calmejane was already competing for the blue mountain jersey. We will likely see Girmay back in the Tour this summer.
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