Biniam Girmay has made history as the first black African to win a stage of a grand tour in the Giro d’Italia.
The twenty-two-year-old Eritrean won the stage after beating Mathieu Van Der Poel in a sprint for the line to win stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia. Stage 10 is a 203 km flat route from Santarcangelo di Romagna to Reggio Emilia.
Girmay was forced to fight his way through the pack in the closing kilometers after briefly turning to the wrong way with 7 km left. Fortunately, his Intermache teammates marshaled him back to the front for the bunch sprint.
“Its unbelievable, everyday comes new history so im really grateful and happy.” Said Girmay “since the start, we controlled and I don’t have any words for my team today.”
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Through his social media platform, Girmay has told his fans that he will not be starting the race for the rest of Giro since his eye needs rest to give it more power, hence pulling out of the race. According to Intermarche doctor Daneels, the medical examinations revealed a haemorrhage in the interior chamber of the left eye of Girmay.
Alberto Dainese has won the stage 11 after Biniam Girmay was forced to abandon this year’s race. Girmay also became the first African to win a world tour race at Belgium’s gent-Wevelgem classic last month.