‘We’re here to ride bikes, not to be politicians’ – Biniam Girmay praises team improvements at NSN following switch from Intermarché

Life at NSN Cycling is off to a good start for Biniam Girmay, with the Eritrean winning on his debut for the Swiss squad on the opening stage of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana last week.

Girmay sprinted to victory in Torreblanca and held the race lead for three days, taking home the points jersey at the end of the race.

“It’s incredible to start this way with the new team. The first race gives us some confidence to continue like this for the rest of the season,” Girmay said in an interview with Marca.

“[NSN] is completely different. Here we’re a more global and international team, with many nationalities; I like this atmosphere.

“It’s a very well-organised team, NSN has higher-quality cyclists and staff. Plus I’ve found some great teammates.”

NSN was built over the winter on the structure of the Israel-Premier Tech team, with many of the same riders and staff staying on board after the old sponsors pulled out.

Girmay said he didn’t care about the history of his current team, noting that he’s there to win rather than discuss politics.

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“To be honest, I don’t care,” he said. “All I care about is the people on the team and the family atmosphere we have. We’re here to ride bikes, not to be politicians.

“The name is always the name, but we want to compete. We have ambition, and I’m here to win.”

Girmay’s 2025 campaign was something of a down year following the most successful season of his career. He didn’t win all season, while his best result was a second place in Lille on the opening day of the Tour de France.

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Two years ago, he had sprinted to three victories at the Tour, also taking home the green points jersey. The race is in his plans again this year, along with the Spring Classics, and he’s aiming to get back to the form which delivered him to glory in 2024.

“These are different years and circumstances, but last year I had many ups and downs. This season, there is a lot of pressure both on the team and on me, but I’ve learned from everything that happened last year. This year, I’m just focusing on finding a winning mentality,” Girmay said.

“It’s not easy [to surpass 2024]. I’ve talked to my teammates about it, but some of them, who have been here for six or seven years, still haven’t won a stage. Winning the Tour is incredible, and I’d like to do the same as in 2024.

“You always have to maintain consistent form, so why not? I have strong teammates, and we’ll try our best to win.”