TNT Sports
'Very disappointed' Biniam Girmay out of UCI Cycling World Championships due to injury after Clasica San Sebastian
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Published 02/08/2023 at 13:40 GMT+1
Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay will not compete at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow following a crash at the Clasica San Sebastian. Girmay said the event was one of his "main goals" but he has been forced to withdraw and will focus on other targets later this season. Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert are all set to compete at the event.
Evenepoel claims record-equalling third win at Clasica San Sebastian
Video credit: TNT Sports
Biniam Girmay has been ruled out of the UCI Cycling World Championships due to injury, while GCN report a number of his fellow Eritreans are struggling to secure visas for the event in Glasgow.
Girmay suffered the injury in a crash at the recent Clasica San Sebastian.
He abandoned the race and will not compete at the World Championships, which start on August 3.
“I’m of course very disappointed to withdraw from the selection for the World Championships, which were a main goal for this season since last winter,” said Girmay in a statement.
“I had a good feeling after the Tour de France, but my crash in the Clasica San Sebastian caused too severe pain to be able to defend my chances in the worlds.
“My priority is now to recover from this crash and then the preparation for the last part of the season, with nice goals in one-day races such as the Grand Prix de Plouay and Canadian classics.”
Girmay would likely have been among one of the medal contenders for the road race in Glasgow.
He took silver at the Under-23 World Championships in 2021 and won Gent–Wevelgem and a stage of the Giro d'Italia in 2022.
Remco Evenepoel will be defending champion at the road race, which is on August 6.
He will go head to head with Tadej Pogacar, who has confirmed he will race at the World Championships following his Tour de France exertions.
Evenepoel looked in good form as he won the Clasica San Sebastian for a third time, but says Belgium have "three leaders" with him, Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen.
“This victory shows that I have the legs, but our Belgian selection is clear,” said Evenepoel after his Clasica San Sebastian triumph.
“We have three leaders, with Wout and Jasper, who are more for the sprint, and there’s me, who is capable of attacking from distance like last year.
"So this isn’t a ‘response,’ it’s just proof that my form is there, that I have the legs to be in front next week.”
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Stream the 2023 Cycling World Championships and Vuelta a Espana live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.com.
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