Girmay didn’t expect it, but this is why Evenepoel and Red Bull lit the fuse in Valencia straight away

First up: Girmay, who has taken his first victory for his new team NSN. It had been a while — his last win dated back to 2024. “It took more than a year to win again,” he recalled in the flash interview. “I did finish second a few times in between, but of course that’s not enough.”

The joy was obvious. “It’s really nice to get the momentum and confidence back,” he said. And with the win came the leader’s jersey. “I think this is only the second time ever I’ve ridden in a leader’s jersey, so I’m super happy.”

Girmay also praised his new teammates, especially after he had to dig deep when the Red Bull engine suddenly turned the screw on the climb. “I honestly didn’t expect a move like that, but my team kept me in a good position,” he said. “They did everything perfectly today right up to the final kilometre, including bringing back Pellizzari. There’s a great atmosphere and everyone is really motivated, so I’m dedicating this win to my teammates.”

Girmay already mentioned him, but it was Giulio Pellizzari who went on the attack after the peloton shattered. The Italian of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe tried to turn the finale into something very different with a long solo, but he was reeled in just before the final kilometre. “We rode the climb full gas. We’re happy with how it went,” he said to CyclingPro.

The team’s work was aimed at helping Remco Evenepoel take bonus seconds, and that plan did pay off — the Belgian sits seventh on GC as a result. Pellizzari then rolled the dice anyway. “Then the attacks started and I was lucky I could get away, but the last kilometres were really tough,” he said.

The move didn’t stick, but the 22-year-old was far from disappointed. “I gave absolutely everything — I did my best right to the end,” he concluded. “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but hopefully it’ll go better this week. This was my first race, so I can only be satisfied with how it went.”

Evenepoel also looked back on the opener with satisfaction afterwards. “I can’t complain about anything,” he said to HLN. “Movistar went fast and then I saw that only a small group was left,” he continued. “We just rode up in control and also took control on the descent. When we got down, we tried to pick up another second — and we did.

That second leaves the Belgian seventh overall, which matters with the time trial coming up next day. How important? “Not hugely important, because GC won’t come down to one second,” Evenepoel explained. “It’s more about starting later in the day. They’re predicting rain in the morning, so the course should definitely be dry by the time I start. The second was there, so why not?”

With that second in the pocket, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe hit the run-in hard — and if Pellizzari hadn’t made it, they still had Arne Marit as a sprint option. “It nearly worked out,” said Evenepoel. “It was a good day for us. I think Arne will be a bit disappointed he didn’t win.”