Tuesday proved to be an eventful day for Biniam Girmay, who made cycling history at the Giro d’Italia but later had to go to the hospital with an eye injury sustained during his podium celebrations.
Eritrean Girmay became the first Black African to win a stage of one of cycling’s Grand Tours when he outsprinted Netherlands’ Mathieu van der Poel in the 10th stage of the Giro between Pescara and Jesi.
However, the 22-year-old had to abandon the race after a prosecco cork exploded into his left eye on the podium.
Not even the first accident with the celebrity cork popping. The second place rider took one in the eye earlier, just not hemorrhaging the darn eye.
It might be a secret plan for him to get to ride the Tour de France…so did the offending cork come from a bottle of Prosecco aimed by the Intermarche DS, or was it a Kurt Cobain move by Biniam?
He’s only 22 and this is his first Grand Tour. The big 3-week races are incredibly difficult and stressful, especially so for a bigger guy like him to get over the mountains. If he completed the Giro it would be unwise for a rider his age to attempt the Tour De France soon after. And indeed it was not on his planned itinerary.
But now… the only fast man Intermarche have on their provisionsal Tour De France start list is Kristoff, who can no longer compete with the pure sprinters, he won’t be put out if Girmay is on the team. Kristoff might enjoy helping him win a stage. Girmay is now getting a lot of publicity, so I would not be at all surprised to seem them now send him to the Tour.
Trivia tidbit I picked up on the Lanterne Rouge podcast coverage of the stage: Eritrean names are [name][father’s name] rather than [name][surname], so when referring to him with a single name it’s more appropriate to use Biniam than Girmay.
Anyways, the kid is a serious prospect. He won Gent-Wevelgem over Christophe Laporte and Jasper Stuyven 8’ up on a sprint field containing Tim Merlier, Mads Pedersen, Arnaud Demare, not to mention Wout van Aert lagging behind in 12th place. Like a younger Sagan, it seems he can outsprint anyone who can climb with him, and outclimb anyone who can sprint with him. It’s going to be fun watching him in the classics in the coming years.
Also, Intermarche’s fluorescent kit is growing on me.
Also also, please don’t spoil today’s stage results in this thread for a couple hours. I was about to opine that Biniam is unlikely to be able to beat Caleb Ewen or Mark Cavendish on a pan flat stage like today’s when it occurred to me that it’s possible that he’s already proved me wrong. 
Well phooey. Oh well, I will sign on to your Bini to the Tour campaign then!