Biniam Girmay’s lead-out train of Stewart and Askey has clicked right before the Tour de France

Two years ago, Biniam Girmay won three stages and the green jersey at the Tour de France, which came as something of a surprise. The Eritrean rider then went through a dry spell lasting a year and a half, but has shown with his new team, NSN, that he’s back on track. What can we expect from him and his team in the Tour de France?

The Tour de France is certainly a special event for NSN, which took over from Israel-Premier Tech. Not only because it’s the team’s first time in this role, but mainly because the race starts in the city where the sports and entertainment company Never Say Never has its roots: Barcelona.

Andres Iniesta, a former Barcelona soccer player is one of the key figures behind the project. On Wednesday evening, he will also be present alongside team leader Girmay and team manager Sam Bewley at the team’s press conference, held at a chic hotel in the Catalan city. Just in case it isn’t clear, the team is proud to be starting in Barcelona.

For NSN and Girmay, there isn’t much to be gained in the first few days. That makes it all the more satisfying that the rider from Eritrea was once again able to beat top sprinters like Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen, and Tim Merlier in the first stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour. “That was an important victory. Bini is, of course, riding for a new team, it’s his first year with us, and with the Tour de France on the horizon, this is really great,” Bewley agreed.

"It was important for us to come to the Baloise Belgium Tour and get our sprint train up and running. This way, the guys can perfect their execution and learn ahead of the Tour. Winning in a field featuring the world's best sprinters gives the team and Bini a huge boost of momentum and confidence heading into the Tour de France."

Girmay worked with his intended Tour lead-out man, Jake Stewart, for the first time in Belgium. “Jake is a crucial piece of the puzzle. The whole group is important, but Jake is truly the linchpin of the sprint train. With Ethan (Vernon, ed.) and Bini, we have two top sprinters on the team, so this season it’s been a bit of a balancing act to deploy Jake for both of them.”

As a result, Stewart—who, starting this season, is focusing entirely on his role as lead-out man in the first part of the race, primarily with Vernon, up through part of the Giro. “So far, everything is going according to plan. We wanted to use Jake in the first weeks of the Giro to support Ethan, and then pair him with Bini in the Baloise Belgium Tour. The fact that things are already going so well is, of course, fantastic for us.”

So you could say that Stewart is taking on the role that Mike Teunissen had for Girmay in 2024. “Bini is someone who really needs to feel a connection with his teammates; he has enormous respect for the guys around him,” says the New Zealand team manager.

"It may have been an unconventional strategy not to have Jake and Bini ride together in the first part of the year, but they’ve been able to train well recently. They went on a training camp together in Calpe and fine-tuned their communication and sprint training there. "Bini had a lot of confidence in Jake from the start, and quite rightly so," says Bewley.

So what does the rest of the train look like? “Lewis (Askey, ed.) and Jake are the key riders for guiding Bini through the final kilometers. We also need to be flexible with riders in the early stages of the lead-out. That varies from stage to stage.” Normally, Guillaume Boivin would be part of that group as well, but he crashed in the final stage in Belgium. Tom Van Asbroek is replacing him and, just like Matis Louvel and Krists Neilands, is playing his part.

"We want to build a strong team around Bini," Bewley explains. "The sprints in the Tour are unique; there’s no other race in the world like it. You simply need raw power and enough riders to set Bini up properly."

For Girmay, and all the other sprinters, it will take a while before a real opportunity presents itself. “In the upcoming Tour de France, the first real sprint opportunity won’t come until five days in, after a few tough stages. I think this works to Bini’s advantage, because he’s generally a better climber than many other pure sprinters. Bini is incredibly strong and in top shape—we saw that in the Brussels Cycling Classic as well.”

"After that first sprint, we'll head straight into the Pyrenees.By the time the second and third sprint opportunities arise, the peloton will already be feeling quite fatigued. That suits Bini and his strengths very well,” said Bewley, who concluded by outlining the specific goals for his team leader in the Tour de France.

"The green jersey is certainly a goal, but our top priority is winning stages," says the experienced former rider. "With the revised points system, the emphasis is even more on the stage results themselves. If we focus on winning stages and that goes well, then the green jersey will naturally come into play."