With six days of racing and two mountain levels left to run on the Tour de France, factors classification chief Biniam Girmay hasn’t but totally secured the inexperienced jersey on the race. However, the Eritrean is already planning forward together with his subsequent purpose of the season in thoughts, the Paris Olympic Games.
Girmay has received three levels up to now at this yr’s Tour and sure has a closing shot at success arising on Tuesday with the ultimate dash stage to Nîmes. On Monday’s relaxation day, he mentioned that inexperienced wasn’t a purpose for him heading into the summer season, however that it is now on his hitlist together with the Olympics.
“Initially, the Games have been my massive purpose for this summer season,” Girmay advised WielerFlits. “But as soon as I had received two levels, we actually made that inexperienced jersey a concrete purpose. I undoubtedly need to full it now.
“The Games are the subsequent massive step. The plan I made with [Intermarché-Wanty performance manager] Aike Visbeek is to additional enhance my type on this Tour. That manner I might be in my finest situation in the beginning in Paris. But I’m already in prime type within the Tour. That is after all one thing good and I’ll take it from there.”
Following the weekend’s Pyrenean exams, Girmay now holds a 96-point inexperienced jersey lead heading into stage 16 with 363 factors to final yr’s inexperienced jersey winner Jasper Philipsen’s 277.
The jersey is not but wrapped up, however with such a margin separating him and second place, Girmay can maybe afford to look ahead to the Olympic street race on August 3. For the rest of the Tour, he’ll have to fret about avoiding crashes and COVID-19 greater than shedding his massive lead.
Come the Olympics, the race’s hilly 273km course in Paris options 2,800 metres of elevation achieve and appears to swimsuit Girmay’s skills properly. However, being the one Eritrean rider within the race will probably be a complication that few different massive favourites must take care of.
“I hope to complete this Tour safely in Nice. From there it isn’t far to keep up my present type till the Olympic Games,” Girmay mentioned. “What is sweet to know is that I’m the one rider who will symbolize Eritrea. It will due to this fact be an especially tough race for me.
“But if I can proceed what I’m doing right here within the Tour, then I hope to have the identical type in the course of the Olympic Games. If I succeed and I get by means of the race properly, something is feasible.
“I might by no means go there if I did not assume I had an opportunity. I really feel tremendous good for the time being. So why would not I’m going for a medal? That was already my plan that I made along with the staff. I’m going for the rostrum.”
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