World Championships after all for Girmay, despite course that doesn’t suit him: "It won’t be easy"

Earlier this season, Girmay said that the World Championships were “beyond my limit” and that he would therefore not be competing. The African cyclist has now changed his mind, he told Sporza. “I expect it to be a tough race, and I don't know what the team's plans are yet. We'll see what I can do.”

The Intermarché-Wanty rider, who was recently in the news regarding a possible transfer, is looking forward to the first world championship on African soil. However, the course around the Rwandan capital, Kigali, is not really a Girmay course. “It would be nice to be in the breakaway,” says the Eritrean. “But that won't be easy.”

So why is Girmay competing? “It's actually the only opportunity I have each year to wear my country's jersey,” he replies. “We often only find out when the African championships are taking place at the last minute. So the World Championships are the only chance to represent your country. And it's also the first World Championships in Africa, so the team really wants me there. And I want to support the team too.”

In the run-up to the World Championships, Girmay will first ride the two Canadian races, then compete in the GP de Wallonie and the Super 8 Classic in Belgium. This will be followed by the World Championships in Rwanda. “It would have been nice if the course had suited me a little better, but I'm not disappointed. There's a World Championship every year.”

It has been a while since Girmay raced in the country. ‘For me, it has been since 2020 that I last raced in Rwanda. I am happy, though. I am proud of my continent.’ In the Tour of Rwanda, Girmay, then riding for NIPPO DELKO One Provence, achieved four podium places, with several stages starting in Kigali.

Finally, Girmay talks about African cycling and what the World Championships can mean for riders from this continent. “I hope that the World Championships will lead to more opportunities for African riders, who are still struggling. I think this World Championships will be good for the next generation, especially for the riders from Rwanda.”