Eritrean star Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) has signed a three‑year contract with NSN Cycling Team, the Swiss‑registered successor to Israel‑Premier Tech, tying him to the project through 2028 and instantly defining the team’s new era.
Announced on Monday, 1 December, the move ends months of uncertainty for the 25‑year‑old Tour de France green jersey winner after the chaotic Intermarché‑Wanty and Lotto merger left his long‑term deal in a contractual grey zone. It also hands NSN Cycling Team a marquee rider around whom to build a fully rebranded WorldTour structure based in Barcelona and Girona.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Biniam to the NSN Cycling Team,” said general manager Kjell Carlström (NSN Cycling Team). “2026 will not only mark a new chapter for the team, but also for Biniam, and I cannot imagine a better time to begin this new stage together. Biniam represents everything we love about cycling.”
Girmay, who made history as Africa’s first Tour points classification winner in 2024, framed the transfer as a mutual reset. “I am very happy to be here, especially with a new atmosphere and a fresh start, both for myself and the team,” he said. “I see a great opportunity with NSN Cycling Team and I feel it is the best thing for my future.”
Backed by Andrés Iniesta’s Never Say Never agency and Swiss investment group Stoneweg, NSN Cycling Team is designed to pivot from the political baggage that dogged its Israeli identity towards a commercially driven, entertainment‑first model.
Securing one of the peloton’s most charismatic winners as its undisputed Classics and Grand Tour sprint leader is the clearest possible signal that this is no cosmetic name change, but a bid to sit alongside cycling’s true superteams from 2026 onwards.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
