'Unbelievable': Biniam Girmay seizes opportunity in watershed moment for cycling

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert rider becomes first Eritrean Grand Tour stage winner

Giro d'Italia
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Missing a turn with about 7km to go to the finish might have spoiled everything for a lesser rider. Not Biniam Girmay. The Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert rider might have gone right when everyone else went left, but he wasn't ruffled (or, if he was, it didn't show). The Eritrean rejoined the lead group, and prepared to win. 

Seven minutes later, Girmay outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel - yes, the two-time Tour of Flanders, Strade Bianche, Tour de France stage winning Mathieu van der Poel - in Jesi on stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.