VOLTA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA: Biniam’s EKOÏ debut and first win!

Biniam Girmay (NSN CYLING TEAM) hit the ground running in his first race in EKOÏ, taking the opening stage of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana 2026 in a bunch sprint. First race, first win for the 25-year-old Eritrean, who edged it at the end of an extremely tight finale, ending more than a year without a victory.

Initially identified as the best opportunity for a bunch sprint, the stage was made more complex by an unexpected attack from the GC leaders on the Puerto Los Madriños. The team nevertheless kept things under control thanks to a big collective effort and to Girmay’s ideal positioning in the finale.

This success is all the more symbolic for the sprinter, so often second last season:

« It took me more than a year to get back to winning… I’m super happy and motivated, and it gives me a lot of confidence. »

Victorious in his season debut, Girmay pulls on the leader’s jersey, a reward he dedicates to his teammates, saluting « a perfect job right up to the final kilometer ». The sports director Dimitri Claeys, also making his debut with the team, sees in this win « the perfect way to launch the season ».