Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay opened his 2026 season the way a nation likes to see it: arms up, sprint line won, and the long wait finally over.
Girmay powered to victory on Stage 1 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, delivering an immediate payoff on his debut with NSN Cycling Team and taking his first win since Stage 12 of the 2024 Tour de France.
The 160km day from Segorbe to Torreblanca looked set for a routine bunch finish—until Remco Evenepoel’s Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe turned the race inside out on the Puerto Los Madroños, splitting the peloton and forcing a frantic chase. A late move by Italy’s Giulio Pellizzari nearly stuck, dangling a slim gap deep into the final kilometre before being caught under the flamme rouge.
In the sprint, Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) launched early, but Girmay timed his effort and held off a fast-closing Arne Marit, with Giovanni Lonardi also on the podium places behind them.
For Girmay, the significance went beyond a stage result. After a winless 2025, he described the relief plainly: “To be honest, it took me more than a year to get a victory… We struggled last year… I’m super happy, motivated and looking forward to this year.”
He now carries the leader’s yellow jersey into Stage 2’s 17km time trial (Carlet–Alginet), where Evenepoel is widely expected to be the benchmark.
For Eritreans, it’s the kind of moment that lands with extra weight: not just a win, but a reminder that the rider who lit up the 2024 Tour de France is back in the winner’s circle.
