Tour of Italy: stage winner, Girmay hospitalized because of a champagne cork

Learning from the podium.

Winner for the first time on a grand tour on Tuesday, at the end of a 10th stage concluded in a sprint ahead of Mathieu Van der Poel, Biniam Girmay logically had the honors of the ceremonial podium reserved for all stage winners.

A podium and the prosecco that goes with it.

And obviously, the Eritrean is not used to uncorking a bottle.

In a video relayed before being deleted from the networks, we find the winner of the day surprised by the cork, exploding in his face.

As a result, the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert runner was violently hit in the left eye.

Biniam Girmay had to close his left eye after his misadventure.

LUCA BETTINI / AFP

But that's not all, since Girmay was forced to head to the hospital after the race, reveals a reporter from

As a result, the first rider from black Africa to win a grand tour stage had to dodge the press conference and the mixed zone.