Biniam Girmay sprints to a historic Gent-Wevelgem victory

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) made history at Gent-Wevelgem, the Eritrean taking the win by outsprinting Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) in the final 250 metres of the cobbled Classic for the biggest win of his young career.

The 21-year-old was part of the four-man group that stole away on the flat run to the finish after the final ascent of the cobbled Kemmelberg. The quartet held off a spirited chase from behind to contest the sprint, with Dries van Gestel (TotalEnergies) taking third ahead of Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo).

"It's unbelievable, amazing. I cannot expect this. We just changed my plan a few days ago on Friday. We just came for a good result. This race is amazing. Unbelievable," Girmay said after the finish about being the first African champion of the race.

"I don't think [I'll stay for Tour of Flanders]. I stayed here a long time – three months. I miss my wife and daughter so I go back home."

The crucial selection in the race was formed 24km from the finish, when Girmay, Laporte, Stuyven and Van Gestel broke clear of a large group that had formed on the aftermath of the final ascent of the Kemmelberg.

With top sprinters Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen (both Alpecin-Fenix) all still present in that group, there was a committed chase, but the leading quartet rode well enough together to stay clear.

The sprint for victory was bound to be a tight one, with all four riders packing a significant punch.

"Of course I feel much better but also there's really strong guys with me so I'm a bit afraid. But I felt confident in the last 250 metres. It's unbelievable, yeah. It changed a lot in the future, especially for all African riders," Girmay said.

"I lost many places, especially on the first section and on the first cobblestones. I felt a bit uncomfortable. But after I felt better and better, rode smart, followed. Then in the end you know everybody is waiting for Van Aert so I played it a bit easy."

How it unfolded

As a race that often hinges on how strong the wind blows, it came as a disappointment for any riders hoping for more of a selective race when they woke up to calm, mild conditions.

Still, there were three ascents of the cobbled Kemmelberg to contend with, along with six other major climbs, and three gravel 'Plugstreet' sectors, too, before a flat run to the finish line.

The first, flat half of the race therefore proceeded mostly without incident, as the riders waited for the climbs to start before they began racing in earnest.

A seven-man break went up the road consisting of Jelle Wallays (Lotto Soudal), Johan Jacobs (Movistar), Nikias Arndt (Team DSM), Alexander Konychev (BikeExchange-Jayco), Lars Saugstad (Uno-X), Ludovic Robeet (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB) and Lindsay De Vylder (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise).

Their lead came close to seven minutes, but work from the likes of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl and Jumbo-Visma kept them under control.

The pace picked up in the peloton as the teams vied for position ahead of the first climb of the day, the Scherpenberg, 97km from the finish.

Amid the increased pace was also the first crash of the day, as several riders fell into a ditch at a pinch point 105km from the finish, including Florian Senechal (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl).

The incident caused splits in the peloton, with multiple smaller groups having to chase back on, with Tom Pidcock (Ineso Grenadiers), Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) and Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-PremierTech) among those caught out.

Jumbo-Visma and Bahrain-Victorious won the battle for position ahead of the Scherpenberg, and were still the most prominent teams at the next climb, the Baneberg, but the latter lost one of their men after the climb as Kamil Gradek went down in a crash also involving Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal).

Although his teammate Davide Ballerini slightly overshot the corner leading onto the first ascent of the Kemmelberg, Kasper Asgreen led the peloton for some of the climb, before Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) took over going over the top.

The peloton was still large after this key climb, but was missing Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies), who had been dropped.

Rather than a climb, it was a flat section shortly after the Kemmelberg 78km from the finish that saw the first dangerous selection form, when Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) accelerated at the front of the peloton, and brought around 15 riders with him including Asgreen, Greg Van Avermaet (Ag2r Citroen), Biniam Girmay (Intermatche-Wanty-Gobert) and Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ).

This group caught the break during the plugstreets, and they held a gap of around 20 seconds over the peloton, where TotalEnergies were leading the chase.

Their work proved to be enough, and the catch was made with 58km left to ride, meaning a leading group made it to the second ascent of the Kemmelberg together.

Van Aert and Asgreen were again the leaders on that climb, and took 13 riders with them, with Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Arnaud Demare and Victor Campanaerts (Lotto Soudal) especially prominent. But as happened earlier there was enough of an organised chase behind to bring them back, and the race was again back together 45km from the finish.

Despite a few attacks from riders including Van Avermaet and Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) then Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Jacobs, the group remained together for the day's penultimate climb, Baneberg, where Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ) and Tiej Benoot again tried to go clear to no avail.

That left just one climb to make a difference, the third and final time up the Kemmelberg.

Van Aert started the climb a few wheels back from where he would have liked, but produced a brutal acceleration to move to the front and crest the summit with a small gap.

He was joined by Asgreen, Mads Pedersen (TrekSegafredo), Søren Kragh Andersen (DSM), Mohoric, Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers), and teammates Benoot and Laporte on the descent, in what was a very strong looking group.

But the presence of Van Aert and so many Jumbo-Visma riders seemed to discourage the other riders from working, and another group was able to join them 27km from the finish which included fast finishers Démare, Philipsen and Girmay.

Shortly after this regroupment the race-winning move was made, as Laporte, Girmay, Styven and Van Gestel went clear 24km from the finish. Van Avermaet and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X) tried to bridge up to them, but sat up when they found themselves stuck in no-man's land.

The quartet's advantage grew to about 40 seconds, but looked in danger of being caught towards the end, as it fell to just 20 seconds with 3.5km to go. However, an attack from Kragh Andersen appeared to take the impetus out of the chase 2km from the finish, and the quartet were left to sprint for victory.

It was a close-run thing at the line as Girmay launched his final dash very early with 250 metres to go – a huge distance for a finishing sprint – but the Eritrean held off Laporte to claim the win.

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Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 5:37:57
2Christophe Laporte (Fra) Jumbo-Visma
3Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
4Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
5Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM 0:00:08
6Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
7Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo
8Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
9Matej Mohoric (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
10Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
11Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
12Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
13Luka Mezgec (Slo) BikeExchange-Jayco
14Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
15Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
16Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
17Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
18Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
19Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
20Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
21Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
22Jonas Koch (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
23Marijn van den Berg (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
24Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
25Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Movistar Team
26Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
27John Degenkolb (Ger) Team DSM
28Ben Turner (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
29Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
30Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
31Cedric Beullens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
32Kasper Asgreen (Den) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
33Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
34Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
35Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
36Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
37Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
38Adrien Petit (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
39Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:00:14
40Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:17
41Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers 0:00:25
42Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
43Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team 0:00:27
44Johan Jacobs (Swi) Movistar Team
45Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious 0:00:29
46Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:00:42
47Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:20
48Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
49Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team DSM 0:01:22
50Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain Victorious 0:01:29
51Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:30
52Aimé De Gendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
53Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
54Lindsay De Vylder (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
55Hugo Houle (Can) Israel-Premier Tech
56Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
57Silvan Dillier (Swi) Alpecin-Fenix
58Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education-EasyPost
59Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team 0:01:36
60Stan Dewulf (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
61Edward Theuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
62Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
63Stanislaw Aniolkowski (Pol) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:01:42
64Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:01:49
65Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
66Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 0:01:56
67Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
68Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 0:07:06
69Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
70Matteo Trentin (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
71Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies
72Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ
73Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
74Luca Mozzato (Ita) B&B Hotels-KTM
75Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team
76Wesley Kreder (Ned) Cofidis
77Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
78Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bahrain Victorious
79Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:09:56
80Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
81Marco Haller (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
82Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM
83Pierre Barbier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
84Fabian Lienhard (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
85Antoine Raugel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
86Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
87Filip Maciejuk (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
88Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
89Manuele Boaro (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
90Jonas Rutsch (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost
91Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
92Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
93Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
94Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
95Jelle Wallays (Bel) Cofidis
96Stefan Bissegger (Swi) EF Education-EasyPost
97Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) EF Education-EasyPost
98Michael Schär (Swi) AG2R Citroen Team
99Daan Hoole (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
100Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
101André Carvalho (Por) Cofidis
102Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
103Vito Braet (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
104Maciej Bodnar (Pol) TotalEnergies
105Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
106Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNFLeonardo Basso (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFEdoardo Affini (Ita) Jumbo-Visma
DNFMichele Gazzoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFFabio Felline (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFTimo Roosen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
DNFDavide Martinelli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFJasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNFKamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
DNFGianni Moscon (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFIljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNFDavide Ballerini (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNFTaco van der Hoorn (Ned) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNFKevin Van Melsen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNFBrent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNFFlorian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
DNFArtyom Zakharov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Team
DNFLuca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFJenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech
DNFOliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNFPascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
DNFMaurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
DNFJonas Rickaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
DNFGuillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
DNFPeter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
DNFDaniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
DNFJens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNFQuentin Jauregui (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNFMaximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
DNFJordi Warlop (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNFQuinn Simmons (USA) Trek-Segafredo
DNFEnrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFAlessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFEnrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFDavide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane'
DNFTimothy Dupont (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNFLudovic Robeet (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNFDimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNFAlex Colman (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNFMilan Fretin (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNFLasse Norman Hansen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNFErik Nordsaeter Resell (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNFCyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
DNFItamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel-Premier Tech
DNFDanny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNFJordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNFKenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis
DNFTom Bohli (Swi) Cofidis
DNFJens Keukeleire (Bel) EF Education-EasyPost
DNFLewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
DNFJhonatan Narvaez Prado (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers
DNFLuke Rowe (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
DNFBen Swift (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
DNFMatthias Brändle (Aut) Israel-Premier Tech
DNFMartin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNFRyan Mullen (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
DNFTaj Jones (Aus) Israel-Premier Tech
DNFIñigo Elosegui Momeñe (Spa) Movistar Team
DNFMathias Norsgaard (Den) Movistar Team
DNFDylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNFAlex Edmondson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNFLuke Durbridge (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNFSam Bewley (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNFKelland O’Brien (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNFCees Bol (Ned) Team DSM
DNFKevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
DNFLeon Heinschke (Ger) Team DSM
DNSMikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates
DNSTom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech

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