The crash that ended with Girmay’s departure from the Giro would have been avoided

The price was too high, although fortunately he could make up for the enormous fear received. After imposing on Mathieu Van der Poel in a close sprint, the Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay He was the victim of the strong impact that hit his eye with the cap of a bottle of rosé ‘prosecco’ which celebrated the victories in the Giro d’Italia.

A serious catastrophe that has almost occurred on several occasions in the past nine stages in the victories of Mathieu Van der Poel sa visegrad and of Koen Bouwmann sa poweralthough fortunately the incident did not occur in the majors.

AND VAN DER POEL CALLED FOR ACTION

Girmay wasn’t the first cyclist to receive the effect of a prosecco bottle cap on this Giro, it had already happened to Van der Poel and Bouwman back then, albeit not that seriously. The Dutch cyclist himself, before starting the 11th stage, asked to take steps: “The fact is that the stopper comes out with great force and it is very dangerous, the organizers must do something , “said the head of Alpecin – Phoenix

The question is clear before it happened, can it be avoided? And the answer warns of some nuances. Since the podium ceremony at the Giro d’Italia was designed, the reality is that a situation like that of Girmay could happen again at a later date, but if it is changed a little, greater risks can be avoided. First of all, we should consider the fatigue accumulated by the runners after the stage and after the many kilometers they carry on their feet, which does not make it easy for them to hold a heavy three-liter bottle of prosecco with their arms. If it is less large, smaller, and if it is open, as is the case in some mechanical tests, for example, the risk will decrease. A risk that would be less if the winners climbed the podium wearing cycling glasses, which already happens in other sports and even in motocross riders wear protective masks.