Updated: Biniam Girmay will decide in morning if he can continue in Giro d’Italia after cork strikes eye
Historic stage-winner missed a post-stage press conference after a cork struck his eye while celebrating on the podium, officials said.
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Biniam Girmay will decide Wednesday morning if he can continue in the Giro d’Italia, the AFP reported citing officials in the race organization.
Girmay was transported to a local hospital in Italy just moments following his historic win at the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday.
There was still no official word from Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert officials.
Late Tuesday, Belgian journalist Renaat Schotte of Sporza reported that Girmay left a hospital in Jesi, Italy, with his eye heavily bandaged.
820 pm @GrmayeBiniam has just left hospital in Jesi #Giro105 His start in stage 11 looks unlikely. In the morning the team will communicate about it 🤞 pic.twitter.com/WvBC5Z2ZJL
— Renaat Schotte (@wielerman) May 17, 2022
Girmay was struck in his face when fumbling with a magnum bottle on the winners’ podium, leaving him rubbing and holding his left eye
A cork can fly at up to 50mph (80kph) as it leaves a bottle and Girmay appeared deeply agitated as he was led into an ambulance and taken to hospital. The cyclist had placed the bottle on the floor and bent over it as he undid the binding before the cork flew off hitting him from close range, AFP reported.
Girmay’s team said a decision would be made Wednesday morning on whether or not he would continue in the race.
Giro d’Italia officials confirmed that Girmay was attended to by medical staff after apparently a cork from a prosecco bottle struck his left eye on the winner’s podium.
Also read: 2022 Giro d’Italia main race hub page
Girmay dashed to victory in Tuesday’s 10th stage to become the first Black African to win a grand tour stage after he fended off Mathieu van der Poel at the end of an attack-riddled stage.
The incident happened as Girmay was on the post-stage winner’s podium. He skipped a planned post-stage press conference and went to a local hospital, race officials confirmed.
The incident is similar to one involving Mathieu van der Poel earlier in this Giro when he also struggled to open one of the celebratory bottles, and the cork shot against his shoulder and then ricocheted onto his cheek.
Check back for more details.
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