First Grand Tour and first stage victory for Eritrean Biniam Girmay, who becomes the first cyclist from his country, and the first black African rider to raise his arms in a three-week race.
The phenomenon of the Belgian formation Intermarché-Wanty Gobert offered the 10and stage of the Giro, sprinting ahead of the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Tuesday May 17 in Jesi, in central-eastern Italy.
“It’s incredible, I don’t realize yet, rejoiced at the microphone of Eurosport, the Italian Valerio Piva, sports director of the Intermarché-Wanty Gobert team. He beat one of the best runners in the world today. » Raymond Poulidor’s grandson, meanwhile, gave a thumbs up when he crossed the line to salute his opponent’s performance.
Professional since 2020, Biniam Girmay has eight victories to his name, including three for the current year alone. The punchy sprinter has become the darling of the peloton since his victory, at the end of March, over the Flemish classic Ghent-Wevelgem.
Plug in the eye
” [La victoire de ce mardi] means a lotcontinued Valerio Piva. It’s a new continent that is coming to the top of cycling. »
A few days ago, Biniam Girmay confided that he was watching the Giro on television as a child, with the hope of one day also competing in a major cycling Tour.
Very prominent since the start of the Italian loop, the first days of which had been relocated to Hungary, the one nicknamed “Bini” had almost put on the pink jersey of leader in the general classification at the end of the inaugural stage. . In the battle in the final, he then had to settle for second place… beaten by Mathieu Van der Poel.
But the hero of the day will not have had time to savor: he had to be taken to the hospital after the cork of the bottle of prosecco offered to the winner landed in his eye.