Eritrean Girmay makes history with Giro d'Italia win / Photo: Luca Bettini - AFP
Eritrean Girmay makes history with Giro d'Italia win
Biniam Girmay won stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday, making history as the first Black African to win a stage on any of the three grand tours.
The 22-year-old Eritrean proved too strong for Dutch ace Mathieu van der Poel, who threw up his hands in defeat after a long struggle for the line at Jesi.
While multiple tour winner Chris Froome was born in Kenya and Daryl Impey of South Africa has won stages, Girmay is the first Black African to do so.
Girmay then got a champagne cork in the face when fumbling with a magnum bottle on the winners' podium, leaving him rubbing and holding his left eye.
The Intermarche rider signalled his coming of age in March when he became the first African to win a one-day classic at Gent-Wevelgem, when still just 21.
Spain's Juan Pedro Lopez of Trek retained the race lead as the main contenders in the overall standings all finished together.
T.Fernsby--MC-UK
