Biniam Girmay has reached a deal with Intermarché-Wanty to terminate his contract, with the Eritrean sprinter widely expected to sign a contract with the NSN Cycling Team, the new organisation and team name of the troubled Israel-Premier Tech squad.
Girmay was under contract with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028, but their complex merger process with the Lotto team has led to a deal for Girmay to terminate his contract early. It is unclear if Girmay paid a fee to break his contract or if the UCI regulations prevailed and deemed him a free agent after the Intermarché-Wanty team management failed to register for 2026.
“It’s been an incredible journey for me with Intermarché-Wanty,” Girmay said when the team confirmed the agreement. “I’m still grateful for the confidence they showed in me five years ago and for the opportunity I was given to become a World Tour rider.”
“Sometimes you have to embrace change. It’s time for a new chapter, and I want to thank everyone at Intermarché-Wanty for the past five seasons.”
It also seemed possible that Girmay could stay with Intermarché and become a joint leader of the new Lotto-Intermarché team alongside Arnaud De Lie. However, budget concerns arose as the final UCI team registration deadline of November 1 neared, forcing the new team to cut riders and staff to respect their limited 2026 budget. The team reportedly tried to use Belgian employment law to their advantage and this only slowed the merger further, impacting the wider rider transfer market.
The UCI will only confirm the teams registered for the 2026 season on December 10, with Lotto-Intermarché likely to finalise their plans and reveal their roster just before then.
Girmay’s success as a sprinter and Classics rider probably meant he had several offers when news of the Lotto-Intermarché merger first came to light during the Tour de France. Israel-Premier Tech were expected to change their roster even before Pro-Palestinian protests targeted the team and protests rocked the Vuelta a España, with Chris Froome’s contract ending and Derek Gee locked in a legal battle to terminate his contract.
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