This Wednesday, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux finished second in both the Grand Prix de Wallonie and the Giro della Toscana thanks to Biniam Girmay and Lorenzo Rota, who both concluded great teamwork.
In Wallonia, the World Team first ensured the chase behind the early breakaway of five riders before controlling the accelerations in the final. Girmay was surrounded by four riders at the foot of the Citadel of Namur.
They set a high page until the red flag, where Dylan Teuns attacked. Loïc Vliegen neutralized this acceleration, after which Girmay took second place behind Mathieu van der Poel with an impressive sprint in the rain.
« I can rely on the support of my teammates in each race, but especially today it was just perfect from the start to the finish. Also in the final 10 kilometer with the penultimate climb everything was under control. My teammates set a perfect rhythm on the Citadel of Namur, enabling me to start my sprint in an excellent position. Unfortunately, I lost the wheel of Mathieu van der Poel in the last corner and I didn't manage to pass him anymore. I love to win, nevertheless I can be satisfied with this second place behind Mathieu because he was just the strongest today. It is also special for me to finish on the podium in the rain. This performance gives me a lot of confidence before the world championships. »
