Biniam Girmay, in my experience at races at the very least, has some of the most loyal and energetic fans out there. He was the first Black African to win a stage of the Tour de France last year, and backed it up with a second and third in quick succession, winning the green jersey competition.
Girmay rides for the Belgian squad, Intermarché-Wanty, and every rider I saw was using a Litening aero bike from team sponsor, Cube.
Girmay has a punchy sprint style that is perhaps not as well suited to the generall flat profiles in the opening week, but there's every chance he could upset the establishment sprinters like Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan.
The team mechanics at the hotel were keen to set his bike up in 'sprint mode', so the deepest Newmen wheels were dutifully swapped out to make the bike as it would be for when he rides it in the opening stages.
One interesting thing I learned is that the team's tyre sponsor, Hutchinson, was able to turn fresh prototypes of its Blackbird Race tyre out for Girmay in just two weeks for feedback and constant iterations.
Girmay's Cube Litening is pretty aero looking for an all round machine that the team seems to use on all terrains. (Image credit: Will Jones)It's got all the aero hallmarks: deep wheels, deep downtube, narrow flattened top tube. (Image credit: Will Jones)While some teams have developed more fancy ways of holding race timing transponders, Intermarché sticks with the tried and tested strip of butyl inner tube. (Image credit: Will Jones)The spokes are very similar looking to those of Cadex wheels, and the team mechanic informed me that Newmen, the team's wheel sponsor, provides the spokes for some Cadex wheels. (Image credit: Will Jones)Girmay's Hutchinson Blackbird Race tyres have been through several iterative rounds of prototypes. (Image credit: Will Jones)His Newmen Streem s.60/s.66 wheels have hidden tubeless valves for a small aero boost. (Image credit: Will Jones)The chrome logos really pop in the harsh French sunshine. (Image credit: Will Jones)Girmay uses Shimano Dura-Ace 54/40t chainrings. (Image credit: Will Jones)He uses a 140mm stem with 36cm bars, and a Bryton computer. (Image credit: Will Jones)Unusually, in a peloton where most riders are moving their positions forward with inline seatposts, Girmay uses a layback option. (Image credit: Will Jones)Atop this is a Prologo Dimension Tri triathlon saddle. (Image credit: Will Jones)There's a lot of carbon around this seat cluster, but it's all be beautifully painted in metallic, heavy flake red. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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