It was just Biniam Girmay’s third opportunity to contest a Tour de France sprint on stage 7 but already the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty rider has stepped up to the podium, taking a third place that has also given the Eritrean confidence for the fast finishes to come.
The charged and technical run into Bordeaux after 170km was not without controversy as winner Jasper Philipsen’s move across the road in the final dash to the line meant Girmay was squeezed in toward the barrier. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old managed to keep enough momentum to add a Tour de France podium to his Grand Tour tally, which already includes a first and second place from the 2022 Giro d’Italia.
