Biniam Girmay crashed in the final kilometer of the 16th stage of the Tour de France as Jasper Philipsen took the win and closed the gap to just 32 points in the points classification.
Girmay was taken to radiology immediately after the stage finish.
“I’m fine,” Girmay said. “I fell on my knee. It is a bit swollen and I have also two stitches in my elbow. But that will not be a problem.”
“If you fall, you feel okay in that moment, but getting up tomorrow will hurt. But mentally I feel good. So that won’t be a problem.”
What happened in the fall?
“It was not an easy finish and everyone was eager for the final sprint, but there were narrow roads with many roundabouts. I hit the handlebars of an EF-EasyPost rider and I couldn’t do anything. I braked as hard as I could, but then I fell to the ground.”
According to Girmay, his injuries are not too bad, but in the meantime Jasper Philipsen got very close in the green jersey competition.
“I don’t think about that. After the fall I was very happy that I could ride. It doesn’t matter to me if I lose or keep this jersey. I just want to finish safely in Nice.”
Biniam Girmay says he's okay after the crash. Knee and elbow took the worst of it. Ready to fight for the green jersey all the way to Nice. #TDF2024
— African Vision Sport & Education Development (@4AfricanVision) July 16, 2024
