Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) could be out of the Giro d'Italia due to the eye injury he sustained on the podium after he won today's stage 10; a cork from a bottle of prosecco exploding into his eye.
He was taken to hospital after completing the podium celebration and this evening he was discharged with a patch over his left eye. Such was the force that the cork hit him, he may now be out of the race.
Moments after sustaining the injury the Eritrean told reporters around the podium area in Jesi he could not see through his injured eye, with his celebration of such an historic day cut abruptly short.
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux's doctor, Piet Daneels, told Eurosport's Italian reporter Andrea Berton he would assess Girmay again tomorrow morning ahead of stage 11. At that point a decision will be made on whether he can continue or should be taken out of the race.
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Tomorrow's stage is a completely flat 203km from Santarcangelo di Romagna to Reggio Emilia. It would have suited Girmay if he was healthy. But it may also be a stage he could struggle through - due to the lack of climbs - if he was not in too much pain and if it was deemed safe for him.
The 22-year-old, who had just become the first black African rider to win a stage on a Grand Tour, bent over on the podium to pick up a bottle of prosecco when the cork exploded out and hit him in the left eye.
He persisted with the presentation but was clearly grimacing. News soon broke he had been taken off to hospital to have this eye injury checked out. While it was hoped he had been brought to hospital out of an abundance of caution, he appears to have damaged his eyeball and a decision is no awaited for a decision on his continued participation in the race.
