Interview | Teunissen sees team leader Girmay shine in flat sprints too: "We've been saying it all year"

Biniam Girmay finally put an end to his unlucky season in the second stage of the Tour de Suisse, according to lead-out rider Mike Teunissen. IDLProCycling.com caught up with Teunissen afterwards, and as usual he provided a very insightful race analysis.

It was already difficult to reach Teunissen, as the celebrating riders of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty were swarmed by a group of Eritrean fans. Rui Costa, Dion Smith and Teunissen himself each received hugs from the ecstatic Africans. This resulted in beautiful images, if only to capture Costa's bewildered expression when he received a tight hug.

"Just walk with me for a moment," was the logical request from Teunissen before he recalled the final kilometers. "Dion Smith, then me, then Bini: that was the plan. But then things became a bit chaotic," said the Dutchman, emphasizing the last word of his sentence. He ultimately finished ninth.

"Anyway, I think that was evident," he continued. "In the end, the plan was simply to stay up front. Bini briefly joined us, but he saw the opening on the left side of the road at exactly the right moment. That was very smart of him."

Team Girmay has been confident in sprinting African all year

The fact that Girmay now outperforms big names like Arnaud Démare and Wout van Aert in a flat finish doesn't come as a surprise to his lead-out rider. "We've actually been saying all year that he secretly has the ability to do that. The results may not have been there, but now we're proven right. That's how it goes. We have a lot of confidence in him, and he's definitely showing what he can do now."

Teunissen himself may not have been able to fulfill the role he would have liked on Monday, but his happiness was not diminished in the slightest. "It certainly wasn't good now, but I don't think anyone had a good lead-out. However, when you win, it's easy, so then you've done a good job as a lead-out. There are things we need to work on, but winning is winning, and that's always a great bonus."

"It's been a while since we rode together because he had a concussion and went to Eritrea," he continues. "Now we're going to fine-tune things," adds Teunissen, who admits he's not a hundred percent certain about his participation in the Tour de France.

Lastly, the frenzy of Girmay's fans was naturally discussed. "They're enthusiastic guys, they're everywhere," says Teunissen, giving an example. "In the opening time trial, he finished his time trial, and then they all gather near our bus. They don't pay attention to the race, they just wait to catch a glimpse of Bini. It's really beautiful, and he considers it a great honor, but he would be happy if it were a bit less chaotic at times."