'They're different sports, but it's incredible that someone so iconic is part of the team' - Biniam Girmay says former footballer Andrés Iniesta will help move cycling forward

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Tour de France green-jersey winner says NSN Cycling Team is the only one that can help him win a race

Biniam Girmay and NSN co-founder former Spain and Barcelona football star Andres Iniesta
Biniam Girmay and NSN co-founder former Spain and Barcelona football star Andres Iniesta (Image credit: Getty Images)

Biniam Girmay has stated that his NSN Cycling Team is the only squad that can help him win a race, as he approaches the 2026 season with a highly-publicized transfer to the Switzerland-based WorldTour team.

The Eritrean sprinter joined the NSN Cycling Team on a three-year contract, announced on December 1, a team that had emerged from the acquisition and rebrand of Israel-Premier Tech. He had already been linked to the NSN Cycling Team earlier in the year after a complicated merger of his previous team Intermarché-Wanty and Lotto.

“I switched to this team because I want to win everything," he said at the team launch. “This team is the only one that can help me win a race. The only thing that matters to me is that we're here to ride bikes and win races."

Legendary Spanish footballer Andrés Iniesta and global investment platform Stoneweg co-founded NSN. The latter is a Swiss company, and the team will race under a Swiss licence in 2026.

Girmay met Iniesta at the team launch and said he could have a big impact on the sport. “He’s a football legend, and they’re different sports, but it’s incredible that someone so iconic is part of the team. I think it will help cycling move forward."

Kirsten Frattini
Kirsten Frattini
Editor

Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.

She manages global budgets, racing & events, production scheduling, and contributor commissions, collaborating across content sections and teams in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia to ensure audience and subscription growth across the brand.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

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