Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) sprinted to his second stage victory in an uphill finish that saw him edge out Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who took second, and Arnaud de Lie (Lotto-Dstny) who took third.
Girmay believes the finish suited him well. “I didn’t feel super good because of the weather, but then I got through it and felt great. I rode my best sprint. The run-up to the final went very quickly. I could already feel my legs there, because there was a headwind. Our lead-out started there 1 kilometer from the finish. I felt my legs explode there, but I knew that the rest would do the same. I knew then that it was going to be my day. I am proud to win here in the green jersey. That doesn’t happen very often. My first goal was to win a stage, and now to win in the green jersey.”
Jasper Philipsen was hoping for more, but felt the finish was demanding for a pure sprinter. “It all seems to be going the wrong way. Where it all went the right way last year, it’s going the wrong way now. We have to live with that. In principle, I didn’t expect to be so close. I didn’t feel that great, because it was quite difficult. And today’s finish certainly doesn’t suit me. But when you come so close, you hope to win. Once we get going, the victories will follow. The real confidence comes when we get victories, but it’s not that big of a difference. The day before yesterday it was close and today too, so we could all just as easily succeed.”
Arnaud De Lie was visibly disappointed with his finish. “I didn’t sprint. I’m really upset. The team rode all day and then I come third… Everyone was exhausted, but I’m really frustrated. The team did a good job and I was well positioned. I then start the sprint, but first have to look back to see what happened. I was definitely boxed in, like the last time in the Antwerp Port Epic. When you are there, you can’t do anything. But I still have to look back at this.”
RESULTS
Stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois > Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises(183.4km)
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
