BINIAM GIRMAY was rushed to the hospital just moments after becoming the first Black African to win a Grand Tour stage after popping a champagne cork in his eye. The Eritrean made history on Tuesday afternoon by winning Stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia, pipping Mathieu van der Poel to first place. But his celebrations […]
BINIAM GIRMAY was rushed to the hospital just moments after becoming the first Black African to win a Grand Tour stage after popping a champagne cork in his eye.
The Eritrean made history on Tuesday afternoon by winning Stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia, pipping Mathieu van der Poel to first place.
— Cycling Legend (@CyclingLegend_) May 17, 2022
Biniam Girmay transporté en ambulance à l'hôpital !
Après sa victoire sur le Giro aujourd'hui, Girmay a célébré et a ouvert la bouteille de champagne…
Malheureusement le bouchon est parti droit dans son œil et il a été conduit à l'hôpital
Rien de grave j'espèrepic.twitter.com/US0sYOwX40
But his celebrations were cut short when he accidentally popped a champers cork in his left eye.
The 22-year-old cracked his eye with the cork as he failed to direct it away from his face as he unscrewed it.
Girmay immediately grimaced in pain and grabbed his face, but he made sure to pick up the bottle and spray out the contents.
And he was swiftly taken to the hospital after celebrating his historic victory.
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Cycling fans were left stunned by the accident, with one saying: “Oof Girmay almost takes his own eye out with the champagne.”
Another said: “@giroditalia, you better open those podium champagne bottles in advance before the riders really hurt themselves.”
And another said: “Stop with that big bottle of champagne, too dangerous and nonsensical.”
One remarked: “Not smart to hang your head above it.”
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Another chimed in: “I advise the organization of De Giro not to shake those champagne bottles like that in advance.
“Girmay got the cork full in his eye.
“The times before that, it almost went wrong with other riders, who saw the cork shoot right past them.”
The severity of Girmay’s accidental injury is currently not known,
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Prior to his dash to A&E, an emotional Girmay said: “All the team – even the GC riders like Pozzovivo, Jan Hirt, Rein Taaramae – were pulling and they did a great job.
“Then at the end Pozzo was amazing – he came to me and said, ‘Come’ with six-hundred metres to go, and he did a really good lead-out. It was amazing.”
